


Demons and Spiders

by AliJaye



Category: Overwatch (Video Game)
Genre: Academy, Angst, F/F, Female original character - Freeform, Gen, Lots of Angst, OC, Original Character(s), Original Character-centric, Original Female Character(s) - Freeform, Past Character Death, overwatch university setting, tragic past
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-03-30
Updated: 2018-04-16
Packaged: 2018-10-12 21:42:40
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 24
Words: 104,377
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10500021
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AliJaye/pseuds/AliJaye
Summary: Set 3 years after the Overwatch Recall. Overwatch has since been re-established, and set up a university for promising new candidates. Follow Alex, a young woman with a tragic past that just keeps catching back up to her. Can she face her demons or will she continue to run?





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I already have a chunk of the chapters for this story posted on FF but I thought I'd give this site a go too! Will upload what I have completed over the next couple of days, but this story is still very much in the works. Any feedback appreciated.

It's pitch black.

"Where are you?"

Alex inhales sharply before quickly covering her mouth with her hands, as if breathing alone would be enough to give away her location. She listens for any signs of movement. She can hear familiar footsteps in the distance. They don't seem to be getting any closer. She moves her hands from her mouth and sighs quietly. Good. She was sure they wouldn't find her this time. She'd gone above and beyond this time. Pushing boxes and clothes out of the way and then covering herself with them as if they'd never been moved in the first place. Even if they did narrow down their search to this particular wardrobe, Alex was certain they wouldn't realize she was in here. She considered this a 'hide and seek' victory!

"Okay Alex, we give up. Where are you?" Came the voice of her second pursuer.

'Still on the first floor' Alex thought as she gauged her parents distance to the main bedroom wardrobe in which she was currently residing.

"They're not even close!" She whispered to herself smugly.

"Alex!"

Oh no. There was no way Alex was going to give them the satisfaction of giving herself up this quickly. For a 5 year old she had a surprising amount of determination. She'd make them wait just a bit longer before announcing her victory.

Alex shifted her feet. She'd been standing in the same position for quite some time and her legs were starting to cramp up. Her eyes had fully adjusted to the dark now so she could see quite clearly in the cramped little wardrobe. She had never been fazed by the dark. In fact, she owed many of her hide and seek victories to the darkness. That and her parents not being particularly good at looking.

Speaking of parents, Alex decided it was probably time to go and surprise them. She began moving the clothes and boxes that covered her, making a mental note to use this hiding spot the next time they played. Just as Alex was about to reach for the wardrobe door she heard a loud thump downstairs. That alone didn't seem startling enough to worry Alex, but when she heard the high-pitched, blood-curdling scream that followed, her heart stopped and she froze. She recognised the voice instantly as her mother's. Alex heard several more thumps downstairs, followed by distressed whimpering noises from her mother. Alex was still frozen in place, her heart threatening to beat out of her ribcage now and she tried to force her body forward. Her mother needed her. Something had happened and her mother needed her. Where was her father? She hadn't heard a single sound from him since the initial thump. Fear continued to swell inside her small body when suddenly she noticed that it was dead silent again. She opened her mouth to call out to her mother, but something in the back of her mind screamed at her not to, like it would endanger her somehow.

After what felt like hours to Alex, but had only been a few moments, Alex finally found the strength to move. She all but ran down the stairs, suddenly having the urgent need to make up for the time she spent in frozen horror. She needed to get to her parents, quickly. She reached the bottom of the stairs and looked around frantically. Where had her mother's scream originated from? Her mind was racing and she almost didn't hear the slight brush of something in the living room. That voice in the back of her head was screaming at her again to run away and hide, to do anything but go into the living room. But Alex ignored the voice this time in her desperation for answers, and she swiftly ran into the living room.

The next few moments happened in a blur. She saw her father first. He was lying abhorrently across the ground, his eyes glazed over and a deep, almost black liquid pooling around him. Alex felt the warm liquid make contact with her foot and flinched, but dared not move. It felt like the world had simultaneously sped up and stopped all together. She tried stepping forward, but it felt like the room was spinning around her, forcing her to fall forward in her dizzied state. She'd bumped into something. As she looked up at the offending object, her heart stopped beating completely for a second. She stared into familiar eyes, eyes that she'd looked into so many times in her short 5 years. Eyes she trusted and loved, except now they were empty and stared at nothing.

"Mama." Alex whispered hoarsely, poking at her mother's shoulder thinking that maybe she was just confused and her mother would wake up and tell her everything would be okay. Her mother remained still.

Her throat suddenly felt overwhelmingly dry. She tried to scream, but nothing more than a whimper came out. Alex was finding it hard to breathe. She was sure she'd pass out at any moment, but her instincts kicked in and she suddenly felt the presence of someone else in the room. In her state of shock she remained frozen, but Alex knew it was already too late. She could feel the uncomfortable heat of the other person's gaze, seeping into her very being. They'd most likely seen her as soon as she'd entered the room. Being only 5 years old, Alex didn't have a concentrated understanding of death, but in that moment it became all too clear to her; she would die tonight.

That voice was back in her head, screaming at her to hide, but against reason Alex felt the immense need to look up, to see the person who would soon end her life. It would be her final act of defiance in life, to look her killer dead in the eye so they knew she'd always remember their face.

She slowly raised her head, taking in the dark, curved figure before her. Alex's eyes had been well adjusted to the dark by now, so even in the unlit room, Alex immediately noticed the unusual cold blue coloured skin of the perpetrator before her. The tiniest bit of fear was replaced with curiosity at the odd colour, but was quickly diminished when she looked into the piercing yellow eyes staring back at her. Any sliver of defiance she had was quickly replaced with horror, and all she could do was stare wide-eyed at the woman who would soon take her life. Alex couldn't tear her eyes from the piercing yellow, as if the woman was somehow hypnotising her with her stare.

Alex could have sworn the woman sighed in, frustration? She then stepped towards Alex and knelt down in front of her, Alex not taking her eyes off her for a second. The woman's presence was overbearing now that she was so close and her sweet scent seeped into all of Alex's senses. Alex thought it odd that amongst all of this horror she could spare a thought to think how pretty the blue woman was. She was broken from her thoughts by an all too pleasant French accent.

"Sweet dreams, Chérie." Were the last words Alex heard before she felt a stinging pain in her neck, and her world went black.

* * *

Alex jolted from her sleep, banging her head on the back of the seat in front of her.

"Aggh! Fuck!" She exclaimed, rubbing her head furiously.

A mother in the seat across the aisle was hushing her small child who was giggling at the scene. The woman was staring at Alex, giving her a look that said she should be ashamed of her language, which just pissed Alex off in her current foul mood. Normally she'd just ignore the woman, but her head hurt and she didn't feel like taking any shit right about now.

"Why don't you take a picture huh? It'll last longer!" She snarled at the woman, who gasped over-exaggeratingly and stared at anything but Alex.

"That's what thought." Alex said to herself triumphantly as she sat back into her seat.

'That nightmare again' she thought to herself as she stared out the window, watching the scenery flash by absentmindedly. She always had that dream when she was nervous, even after 11 years she couldn't shake the vivid memory. She remembered those piercing yellow eyes like she'd only seen them yesterday, even while the faces of her parents began to fade. She was dragging up unwanted memories again. She slapped herself with both hands, shaking the thoughts away before they started making her shake. Alex was a firm believer of squashing any unwanted thoughts or memories down into a part of her mind she'd never have to face again. Sometimes it actually worked.

Alex glanced up at the clock in the front of her carriage. 3:15pm. She still had an hour to go before arriving in King's Row. She definitely didn't want to sleep again, so she pulled the crumpled letter out of her backpack and read over it again:

_To Miss Alex Cross._

_I apologise for writing to you out of the blue, we have never met and I'm not sure whether you will have heard of me, but I know you quite well._

_In regards to Daishin's passing, you have my deepest condolences. Your guardian was an honoured member of the Shambali and a dear friend of mine. It is through these unfortunate circumstances that I am writing to you today._

_In his life, Daishin told me much about you, his young student, and asked that I deliver a message to you should anything ever happen to him. Upon his death, I was automatically updated on the situation, as well as given the message to pass along to you._

_Due to the nature of the message, a direct approach is required, so I would like to meet with you in person to discuss the matter, as well as Daishin's wishes for your future._

_I will be arriving in King's Row in 7 days and have a company safe house there where we may meet up. I have given you the coordinates of this safe house with this letter, as well as a train ticket from your current location to King's Row, valid for the next month._

_I understand that this might seem overwhelming given your current circumstances, and odd coming from somebody you've never met, or possibly heard of, but I assure you I only have yours and Daishin's best interests at heart. If you need to take some time, before agreeing to meet, please do so. As I said, your train ticket is valid for one month so there is no rush._

_I look forward to meeting you._

_Kind Regards,_

_Tekhartha Zenyatta_

Alex folded the letter back up and placed it back in her backpack. She sighed loudly.

"Who the hell writes letters nowadays?" She said to herself before laughing at the thought of this Zenyatta character whipping out an ink pad and feather to carefully write the letter. What if they made a mistake, would they re-write the whole letter? The image of a frustrated old omnic bent over a bin of ruined letters was very amusing to Alex. Or maybe he didn't make mistakes. Daishin probably wouldn't. He was a stickler for perfection and attention to detail.

Thoughts of Daishin suddenly put her back into her foul mood and again, she signed loudly before putting her feet up on the back of the seat in front of her.

'Well this has been a shitty day hasn't it?' she thought to herself before looking at the carriage clock again. 3:25pm.

The whole carriage must have heard her very unsubtle groan.


	2. Chapter 2

The train station smelled of fuel and other ungodly scents Alex didn't wish to know the origin of. Alex stepped off the train, stretching her entire body out before hearing the satisfying clicking of her joints. The train trip from Bradford had only been a few hours but she felt like she'd been cramped up for days. Alex hated public transport, almost as much as she hated crowded areas, which she was now standing in. The amount of people hurrying around her in a mess of action started to register, and Alex thought this was a good a time as any to get the hell out of there. Besides, it was getting late and she had a few things to do before heading to this 'safe house'. The first of which required the ladies room.

Alex slung her single, slightly worn backpack over her shoulder and headed towards the bathrooms. There was a line, which was unsurprising given that several trains had just arrived, and Alex noticed the stalls didn't have their own mirror and basin. She clicked her tongue impatiently and rubbed her right eye. She needed privacy for her task, and if the rumours she'd heard about King's Row were true, she didn't want to be drawing any unwanted attention her way. She let out a sigh of frustration and continued on out of the bustling station.

The streets above were almost as frantic as the station below. People were rushing past Alex like they barely even noticed she was there, let alone the rest of their surroundings. The buildings that surrounded her were tall and aged, unlike the smaller scale buildings she was used to in Bradford. Sure they had skyscrapers in the city, but Daishin's place had been on the outskirts of the city, which mostly consisted of residential buildings and smaller businesses. Due to her dislike of crowds, Alex rarely ventured into the city. And yet here she was, in an even bigger, busier city than her own, hoping that this wasn't some twisted joke at her expense. She really did hate crowds.

Alex waited impatiently at the base of the traffic lights. Her right eye began to itch again; she needed to buy those replacement parts. The illuminated man flicked to green, indicating that Alex could cross, and she practically sprinting across the street to find a quieter corner to collect her thoughts and check the map she'd been given. She managed to find a small bench beside the footpath, and was just about to swing her bag off when someone bumped into her back, causing her to stumble forward. Alex's reflexes were usually pretty good and she almost regained her footing, but the awkward placement of her bag and the unbalanced weight caused her to topple over the seat completely, banging her forehead on the back corner of the seat.

Alex inelegantly pushed herself back up, blinking rapidly and searching for the perpetrator. She swung around and noticed the business-like man walking away in a hurry, not even apologising let alone acknowledging her. Her head was pounding and she probably should have just ignored the stupid man, but today had been the worst and Alex was just looking for a reason to lash out.

"WATCH WHERE YOU'RE GOING NEXT TIME, JACKASS!" She yelled loudly after the man.

Half the people on the street paused to look at her awkwardly, but she ignored them and kept her now seething gaze trained on the man. He looked back for a second, taken by surprise that she had called him out. He looked like he might have replied with a snarky comment of his own, but something about the way Alex glared at him must have scared him off because he swallowed his words and spun around before quickly walking away from the scene. The people around Alex started to move again, possibly prompted by Alex glaring at them until they felt too uncomfortable to even ask if she were okay. She picked up her backpack and fell back onto the bench, pressing her hand into the right side of her forehead, which was now throbbing persistently.

She opened her left eye and noticed some of the people who'd witnessed the event awkwardly huddling away, trying to avoid her gaze. She suddenly became nostalgic and burst out laughing at the amusement of it all. The few people that remained probably thought she had a screw loose. Daishin had always told her she had to worst attitude when she was younger…

* * *

_"_ _LOOK WHERE YOU'RE GOING NEXT TIME YOU STUID IDIOT!" Alex shouted at the dishevelled boy sprawled out on the ground in front of her._

_The boy was probably a year or so younger than Alex, and was clearly intimidated by the angry girl who was currently staring daggers into him. His eyes dropped to the groceries that were now strewn around Alex's equally dishevelled body as a result of their crash. His eyes widened when he looked at Alex's hand. One of the glass jars had broken when they'd fallen over, and had sliced the girls palm open. She didn't seem to notice herself._

_"_ _Stop staring at me you creep!" Alex snarled at the boy, causing him to flinch. Alex inwardly smiled at her intimidating effect on the boy._

_"_ _Umm, y-you're bleeding." The boy stuttered out._

_Alex looked down at the blood that was now flowing freely from her palm. The sight caused a painful memory to stir for a second, before she blinked furiously and focused again on her current predicament. She narrowed her eyes at the boy again._

_"_ _And whose fault is that jackass?!" She yelled at the boy, smiling smugly as he flinched yet again._

_She was just about to give the poor boy another piece of her mind when she felt the familiar sensation of a cool metal hand upon her head._

_"_ _And where did you learn such foul language my young student? Surely not from me?" Came Daishin's familiar, calm voice._

_Alex leant her head all the way back in that odd way only children seem to be able to do, and looked at her teacher innocently, batting her eyes. Daishin raised his eyebrow at his young pupil, to which Alex sighed in frustration._

_"_ _It's not my fault he's a jackass." She said matter-of-factly, pointing to the boy in front of her._

_Daishin swiftly slapped her across the head, hardly enough to hurt but enough for her to stop being a brat. Alex quickly covered her head with her hands in response._

_"_ _Ow! Well he is!" she exclaimed, protecting her skull from any further beatings._

_Daishin sighed deeply before addressing the still stunned boy. "I apologise for my student's lack of manners young man. Are you hurt?"_

_The boy hesitated a moment, unsure of the omnic before him, before answering "No sir. But she's bleeding." He added, pointing to Alex's hand._

_Alex glared and the boy and clicked her tongue, agitated, as if he'd just given her away._

_"_ _That's enough Alex." Daishin said sternly before addressing the boy again: "Thank you young man, you should go and find your parents now."_

_The boy looked back at the still visibly angry girl, and decided that he agreed with the omnic. He scrambled to his feet and ran off through the market crowd. A few people had paused in their business upon the incident, but now seemed to resume their daily business, a few of them awkwardly so after receiving death glares from the small angry girl with the bleeding hand._

_Daishin looked down at his student, her silver blonde hair falling messily around her face, her scraped knee from the fall, and her bleeding hand; which she was trying ever so hard to hide from him. He sighed deeply for what seemed like the billionth time since meeting the young stray, and bent down to pick up the scattered groceries._

_"_ _You know, if you keep glaring and snarling at people, how do you expect to make any friends, hmm?" He asked the young girl teasingly._

_This seemed to raise Alex's spirits, and she finally looked up at him, smirking. "You know, I don't think you're the best person to be giving out advice on finding friends." She replied cheekily before giggling at her own joke._

_Daishin flicked her forehead gently and chuckled as well._

_"_ _Besides." Alex continued. "I don't need any friends, I have you." She finished before picking up the rest of the groceries and placing them in the bag she'd been carrying them in._

_Daishin stared at the girl for a moment, considering, before he finally stood up and placed his hand on her head._

_"_ _Come on. Let's go and take care of that hand before you bleed out."_

* * *

Alex lifted her hand to look at the faint scar that still lingered, even after 6 years, but was surprised to see blood instead.

'Shit!' she thought to herself. Her head must have sliced open during the bump.

She felt an uncomfortable sensation in her right eye socket and blinked rapidly at the feeling, rubbing her eye to reveal some blood had dripped in there from her forehead.

Great! Now she definitely needed to get those parts.

Alex rummaged through her bag with her left hand while keeping pressure on her forehead with her right. She managed to find a small med kit and thanked her past self for remembering to pack one. She haphazardly applied some medical glue and a bandage to the wound before taping it on. It'd have to do until she could look into a mirror and fix it properly.

She pulled out the crumpled map that Zenyatta had sent with the letter, realizing that it would be completely useless to her for anything except showing her the location of the safe house itself. Jeez, first a hand written letter, now a useless paper map. Was this Zenyatta guy prehistoric? She sighed before shoving the map back into her backpack and swinging it over her shoulder. She pulled her tablet out of her jacket pocket and hit the home screen before speaking into the small device.

"Show me the nearest robotic prosthetics store."

The circular waiting screen popped up before several locations were specified on a digital map. The closest was three blocks from her current location, gotta love that big city convenience. Alex shoved the tablet back into her pocket and headed in the direction of the store.

* * *

Alex stood across the road from the quaint little store. She looked around the street before crossing the road. The streets were less busy here and she could cross easily without waiting for traffic lights. It was also getting darker so there were less people out and about. That was good. Alex looked around cautiously before stepping into the small store. Even after all this time she still felt embarrassed, and given the remaining omnic/human tensions still flying around after the Omnic Crisis, she rathered the idea of no one knowing at all.

The store was just as small on the inside as it looked from the outside, to the point of being slightly cramped. What it lacked in grandeur however, it made up for in its inventory. This was all the latest tech, stuff they didn't even have back in her local repair store. Truth be told if anything excited her about this trip, it was the chance to get her hands on some band new, fully working parts. Hopefully at a decent price too, but she knew how to haggle.

She approached the counter to find a small old man hunched over a mechanic arm, making minor adjustments with the precision of a surgeon. He looked up as Alex approached, surveying her quietly before speaking.

"We don't deal in toys here I'm afraid love." He said in a manner that gave Alex the impression he'd had to deal with rowdy teenagers on a regular basis.

"Well it's a good thing I'm not here to play around then." She replied confidentially, looking the man straight in his sunken grey eyes.

He sighed and stood up from his work, looking over Alex before asking "Not a limb then?"

"No." Alex replied. "It's my eye."

The old man gestured for her to step up behind his desk so he could get a better look. Alex obliged, finding that she was quite a bit taller than him close up. He pushed her towards a seat and she obediently sat down.

"Which one are we looking at, and what needs fixing?" He enquired.

"It's the right. Firstly the holographic emitters have been on the fritz lately, so I reckon I'll just replace them completely." She replied, pulling her lower right eyelid down some and pressing onto the bottom of her eyeball. The blue of her iris flickered like a screen, before her eye seemingly entirely disappeared and was replaced with a silver mechanic eye.

The old man pulled out a small torch and shone it in Alex's mechanic eye, inspecting the various functions. Seeming satisfied with his inspection, he put the torch down on the bench and wrote some notes on a scrap of paper. He looked back up to Alex.

"Was there anything else in particular you were after?"

Alex inhaled excitedly. "Well, yes. I'd like a new scope too. At the moment I've got the times 20 model, but I'd like to upgrade it to a 50. The rest of the parts are fine, it just needs a proper clean and I need some more lubricant to clean it myself as well."

Oh there was so much more that Alex wanted, but she was trying to save her money and these repairs alone would set her back enough, so she reigned in any unnecessary desires like an awesome 500 sniper scope, or infrared sensors, or pretty much anything she didn't need, and left it at the basics.

The old man added scribbling to his list, old people and their paper huh, and presented it to Alex. She could barely read the scrawl, but read out again her list and the man nodded in confirmation. He pointed to a small door towards the back of his shop.

"I'll need you to remove the eye for these repairs, feel free to use the bathroom out the back." He gestured as he began to collect tools and parts for the repair.

Alex wormed her way out to the bathroom, man was the place cramped! She looked into the mirror and carefully removed the mechanic eye with the precision and muscle memory of someone who had done it many times before. She sighed heavily in relief as the object was removed. It had been irritating her like crazy these past few days but she'd run out of cleaning lubricant and figured she could just tough it out til she got here. She washed out her hollow eye socket with her special eye cleanser and placed the mechanic eye in a special case. She looked back up into the mirror, this time actually making eye contact with the empty hole that seemed to cover way too much of the right side of her face. The sight reminded her of a ghost, what with her missing eye, her painfully pail complexion and her messy, silvery blonde hair. As much as she loved the relief of cleaning her mech eye, she hated it when she caught a glance of her face without it. She hated that she wasn't normal, that a part of herself was deformed like this. It made her feel shameful, like others wouldn't see her as whole if they knew, which is why she went to great lengths to keep the whole 'mech eye' thing a secret. The only people who knew were Daishin and the woman from the repair shop back home. Well, and this old man now. Maybe she'd have to kill him now that he knew the truth, like they did in the old horror/mafia movies. Alex shook her head and smirked at her own dark sense of humour.

"That's enough horror movies for you." She said to herself jokingly in the mirror.

Her smile faded as her left eye focused on that damned empty space again. She pulled an eye patch out from her med kit and secured it in place before heading back out into the store.

The repairs took a couple of hours, so by the time Alex's eye was securely back in its socket and she'd regrettably parted with more money than she'd hoped, it was already dark outside. Her stomach groaned angrily and she realised she hadn't eaten since breakfast this morning. There'd probably be food at the safe house right? And she really didn't want to be out too long after dark in an unfamiliar city. So fighting against her protesting stomach, she decided to call a taxi and head straight for the safe house.


	3. Chapter 3

The taxi ride had been unexpectedly long, taking her further and further out of the hustle and bustle of the city and into what looked more like a residential area.

'Well I guess it is a house?' Alex thought to herself reassuringly. She'd seen way too many horror movies to be completely at ease in a taxi alone at night, taking her further and further away from the people. This was a classic scenario. The taxi driver would say 'Oh I know a short cut' and the innocent girl from out of town would happily agree in their blissful ignorance.

But Alex was definitely not some naïve innocent girl. If this guy tried anything, Alex would shove her foot so far up his as-

"We're here Ma'am." The young driver said curtly as he pulled over.

"Oh! Cool!" Alex almost shouted in awkward response. She'd been drawn out of a rather graphic daydream of the various ways she would have tortured the man in front of her if he'd tried anything. Man, she really did have a dark sense of humour.

Alex paid the young man, again regretting having to part with more of her dwindling funds, and grabbed her backpack before getting out of the taxi. The taxi pulled back onto the road and drove off.

The neighbourhood was pretty dark here and there were no streetlights illuminating the way.

'Great!' Alex thought. 'And from one horror movie to the next.'

It was eerily quiet and there didn't seem to be any people around. Now that Alex's eyes were adjusting to the darkness, she started to realise that there wasn't really much around in terms on infrastructure. The houses were scattered sparsely and half of them seemed to be in development. She pulled out her crumpled map and thanked sweet technology that her phone had a torch. Studying the map which Zenyatta had given her, Alex was puzzled. She should be standing outside the safe house, but the building in front of her was hardly even a building at all. It was like an earthquake had done some major damage to a house that she was sure was once pretty, but it had been ignored for years and vines and plants had begun to overgrow the building and lawn. Half the building wasn't even there!

Alex sighed audibly, shoving the map back into her backpack and using her phone as a torch, she slowly made her way towards the front door, which for the record was only really half a door.

'Well I guess I don't need a key.' Alex mused.

She found it rather ironic that seemingly anyone could enter this 'safe house' by simply hoisting themselves over the half-there door. The possibility that she'd been played was seeming more and more realistic to her at this point. Nonetheless, Alex had come all this way to suss the place out a couple of days before Zenyatta was supposed to be arriving, so she may as well humour the idea that this wasn't all some cruel prank on her behalf.

She hoisted herself easily over the 'front door', landing fluidly on floorboards on the other side. The movement was easy, and she felt oddly grateful for all of Daishin's training. Even if he did have a 'keep up or die' mentality that kind of scared her when they were training. Needless to say, she had always been at the height of fitness.

She glanced around the house from her current position, keeping on high alert in case of any unexpected surprises. The very plausible possibility of falling through the floorboards aside, she didn't know if anyone else might be lurking around. She didn't know this Zenyatta person or the company from which this safe house was supplied, better to be safe than sorry.

After thoroughly examining every nook and cranny of the run down house for 3 hours, Alex came to two conclusions. One: there didn't seem to be any sinister people lurking about or any booby traps set, so she felt reassured at that. However that was about where the reassurance ended. There was actually nothing here. The furniture was run down, obviously aging along with the house, there was no electricity or water, and the biggest disappointment of all was that there was no food. Alex suddenly became very aware of the fact again that she had barely eaten all day.

As if on cue, her stomach rumbled loudly and in frustration she picked up a piece of loose timber from the floor and threw it through one of the few remaining intact windows. The loud crunch of the glass shattering satisfied her for only a moment before annoyance set back in. She pulled out the map again, maybe she had the wrong house?

After checking the map, and then checking it again, Alex was certain she had entered the correct house, there was just nothing here to indicate to her that it was a supposed safe house. Feeling frustrated and unbearably hungry, Alex decided to put an end to this miserable day and find somewhere to sleep. She'd figure out her next move tomorrow when she had a clear head. She found an old worn lounge in what she assumed used to be a living room and sat down, testing the springs. Satisfied, she pulled a small granola bar out of her bag and scoffed it down before sighing. Still so hungry. She pulled her bag up onto the lounge to use as a pillow and laid back.

"Oh look at that, I always wanted a sky light." She joked to herself upon seeing the gaping hole in the ceiling above her.

It didn't take her long to drift off.

* * *

_Alex watched the tall woman approach her, who looked both cold and beautiful all at once. She held her breath, feeling completely frozen in the woman's presence, and when the woman crouched in front of her, she thought her sweet scent would consume her completely. Those golden eyes bore into her own and she thought she would pass out from holding her breath for so long._

_A flash of something resembling pity danced across those golden orbs so quickly Alex didn't even register it. It was too overwhelming, this woman was too overwhelming and it was suffocating Alex._

_"Sweet dreams, chérie." Were the last words Alex heard before she felt a stinging pain in her neck and her world went black._

* * *

Alex jolted from her sleep aggressively, panting and sweating profusely even without her jacket on. It felt like someone was grasping at her throat and she was finding it hard to breathe. Recognizing the beginning of a panic attack, Alex quickly scanned the room for five items she could see, five things she could smell, five things she could touch. Daishin had taught her the technique when she was younger after he had witnessed her first full on panic attack. It usually helped her to ground herself. She grasped the worn fabric of the lounge below her until her knuckles turned white, bringing herself back to the present. She sighed loudly and relaxed her grip on the lounge when her breathing finally returned to its normal pace.

She swallowed the lump in her throat and scanned the room. The light of early morning was seeping in through her makeshift skylight making Alex sigh in frustration. She knew she wasn't getting anymore sleep but she still felt exhausted and she hated getting up early.

She sighed again, defeated, and stood up from the lounge to stretch out her cramped body. Let's just say the lounge wasn't the most comfortable thing she could have slept on. She cracked her back satisfyingly before pulling out her water bottle and gulping down the last few mouthfuls.

"Well I guess that's the first order of business for today." She proclaimed, not nearly satisfied with the small amount of water she'd had left.

She threw the bottle onto the lounge and rubbed the kink in her neck, wincing slightly. It reminded her of a different kind of pain she'd felt in her neck, one that was all too vivid after her wondrous trip down memory lane just minutes ago. She'd been so sure that was what had killed her all those years ago. The pain combined with her consciousness slipping into nothingness were certainly enough to indicate death. The spouts of consciousness following her apparent 'not death' were a blurry mess of confusion and amnesia.

They'd found her on the backseat of some bus in Bradford. The doctors said she'd been drugged with something which had been the cause of the amnesia and confusion. In retrospect Alex thought that maybe that should have been an indicator to look into it on the police's behalf, but to everyone she was just some orphan that was nobody's problem and she was shoved into some crappy orphanage. It took weeks for Alex to even vaguely remember fragments of who she was, still to this day she wasn't sure she knew everything about her former self. What angered her the most however was that she hadn't even immediately remembered her parents or what had happened to them. Several agonizing panic attacks and a semi coherent recollection later it was too late for people to believe the 'crazy girl' and that a beautiful blue monster had killed her parents. It angered her beyond belief; even now her fists were clenched tightly at her sides at the foul memories.

Alex was brought back to the present by the feeling of a tear rolling down her left cheek. She wiped furiously at the offending bodily function, crying was definitely not her. Alex preferred to express her anger in violent bursts, which she stayed strong to as she punched the wall beside her furiously, a crack resounding throughout the empty space. The blow had cracked away slightly at the withering wall, and Alex knew she'd probably messed up her hand, but she didn't care. The satisfaction of letting her out her anger outweighed any pain she felt. This wasn't the first wall she'd punched in a fit and strangely she'd started to welcome the pain from her self-inflicted injuries as some kind of sick comfort. Yeah, she was definitely messed up.

Bleeding knuckles aside, her little fit had somewhat done its job and she felt less likely to punch the first person she saw in the face now, so that was progress. Instead of wallowing in self-pity, Alex decided to get straight into her tasks at hand for the day. She wanted to scout the place in daylight as well as the surroundings, not to mention she needed food and water. She seemed to be in a pretty remote area so she guessed it'd probably be a treck to the nearest supermarket or corner store. Despite still being tired from yesterday, she decided she'd go for a run to find one though rather than calling another taxi. She'd already spent way too much money for her liking on this trip, so she wanted to cut additional costs as much as possible. Besides, she hadn't trained in a few days so a run might be nice?

* * *

It was already late afternoon by the time Alex had finished scoping the place out and had successfully run to find the nearest store, which mind you had ended up being 25 kilometres away. Alex ungracefully collapsed onto her makeshift bed, groaning loudly. This trip had been the worst.

Alex rolled over and pulled out one of the sandwiches she'd purchased earlier. It was probably too early for dinner but she was starving and after the run back she definitely needed the energy. As the sun began to set she pulled her jacket back on as the evening chill began to set in. She winced at the smell of her clothes and wished the water had been running so she could shower. If anyone saw her in here they'd think she was homeless or something, she certainly looked and smelled the part.

"What kind of lame safe house doesn't even have a working shower?!" She yelled at no one.

Alex leaned back into the lounge and thought about the peculiarity of the supposed safe house. After scouting the entire building again earlier that day she had still found nothing to indicate a safe house or a business of any kind. Even the surroundings were bland and broken down. She just didn't get it. Why would Zenyatta ask to meet her here? Why would he specifically say it was a safe house. Sure, it was off the grid, which Alex guessed was the desired location for a safe house, but to have nothing actually here?

A thought suddenly dawned on Alex and she widened her eyes at the realisation, beating herself up for not realising it sooner.

'This isn't the safe house' she thought to herself. 'It's just a front for the safe house so nobody knows it's purpose, there has to be a secret door or something that leads to the actual safe house.'

Alex slapped her forehead for not thinking of something like this sooner. Zenyatta had said it was a company's safe house, so it had to be legit. Like, spy movie secret passage secret stock of food legit. Alex's mouth watered at the prospect of decent food.

With renewed energy and a mission in mind, Alex jumped to her feet. It was getting dark, and while her mechanic eye gave her better night vision than regular human eyes, the scanners would work a lot better with more light. Alex looked around the room and a surveying screen appeared over the vision of her right eye. The scanner in her eye wasn't military grade or anything, but it would be enough to pick up any tech in the room that would seem out of place, perhaps indicating a secret door. And seeing as everything in the house looked like it died along with the owners a decade ago, Alex figured it couldn't be that hard to find right?

* * *

For a second time that day, Alex found herself collapsing onto her crappy lounge. Alex didn't get it, how hard could it be to find a freaking door?! Were her scanners on the fritz? Had that old man given her a stingy upgrade job? Functioning scanners should be able to detect other tech, and unless this door was stone carved and sealed by ancient magical runes, her mech eye should have been able to locate it.

Alex pouted. She hated not being able to do something she'd set her mind to. Maybe she'd try again tomorrow with full daylight on her side? Maybe she needed to make some adjustments to her mech eye? Either way she was determined she could find it. She was running out of days before Zenyatta would arrive and she really wanted to find out more about him before they met, which she figured she could do once she reached the actual legit 'safe house'.

Sighing, Alex pulled up her backpack pillow and laid back, not really feeling like sleeping after last night but exhaustion weighing her down at the same time. She settled for lying there, staring out her sky window instead. The stars were surprisingly visible in the sky above her, although she did suppose they were far enough away from the city. She stared at those glistening balls of light, burning thousands of miles away, wondering if maybe Daishin or her parents were among them.

After what seemed like hours of simply staring at the stars, Alex slowly felt sleep crawl up on her, blinking her eyelids heavily. Just as she was finally about to surrender into sleep, she heard the smallest scuffle from the hallway. Despite her exhaustion, Alex had been on high alert since she got here, so as soon as she heard the sound she was on her feet in one swift motion and poised for a possible attack. She scanned the room which was surprisingly well lit courtesy of her skylight. Whoever or whatever had made the sound was not in the room with her yet. Alex concentrated on her hearing immensely, trying to determine their location that way rather than relying on her sight. She heard the faintest of movements again, definitely footsteps. Human footsteps.

Whoever this was they were trying to stifle the sound of their movement which made Alex's stomach turn uncomfortably. They were aware of Alex's presence already.

'Shit!' Alex cursed herself for not having a weapon of some kind at the ready. She had a pocket knife in her bag but pulling it out would take too long and make too much noise. The other person was no doubt trying to suss out her location too and she definitely didn't want to help them out.

If it came to a scuffle Alex was well versed in hand to hand combat. Thank you Daishin! Her main worry was that she had no idea of the capability of the other person. Judging by their silenced footsteps she guessed they probably weren't heavy, but lighter meant faster, and that was the strength she was banking on for herself.

Scanning the room quickly Alex noticed a shard of glass from the window she'd broken about 4 steps to her right. If she was attacked from the hallway that might be a viable option. She whipped her vision back to the hallway as she heard footsteps rapidly accelerate towards her. Apparently their silent standoff was over. In a swift movement, Alex dived for the shard of glass to her right, somersaulting forward to spin on her heel and throw the shard of glass back at the perpetrator running towards her with impeccable precision. Alex was sure it would make contact when all of a sudden there was a flash of blue light and a high whizzing sound and the shadowed person vanished from sight. The glass shard collided with the wall behind where the intruder had just been, lodging into the wood with a thud.

Alex blinked rapidly and scanned the room for the intruder. They had just disappeared, like they were never there. Just when Alex was about to question her sanity, she heard a creak from a loose floorboard in another room. Fed up with this game of cat and mouse and adrenaline fuelling her, Alex yelled into the dark house:

"WHO ARE YOU?!"

For a few moments Alex heard nothing, thinking hopefully that she may have startled the intruder and they took off. Because the angry shouting of a 16 year old girl must carry a lot of fear. No such luck. Alex heard the distinctive high whizzing sound again, followed by a blue flashing light which seemed to settle a few feet behind her. Alex whipped her body around to face the intruder, preparing for a fight.

Alex could see the outline of the other person, small in build like she had guessed, probably a couple of inches taller than herself. They were standing in the shadowed section on the living room, not yet illuminated by the skylight so it was hard for Alex to make out details.

Suddenly Alex was jolted from her thoughts by a cheerful high-pitched giggle from the offending person, who stepped forward into the light. Alex was face to face with a young looking woman, perhaps in her twenties, with spikey brown hair and a leather pilot's jacket. The most striking feature of the young woman however was the glowing blue contraption strapped to her chest. Alex was taken aback by her nonchalant attitude and stepped back slightly, unsure of the other woman.

The other woman must have noticed because she stopped advancing and looked over Alex carefully before cheerfully adding:

"It's funny luv, I was about to ask you the same thing."


	4. Chapter 4

Lena pat herself down quickly after blinking into the hallway.

'Damn. I hadn't been expecting that!' she thought to herself as she confirmed that whatever was thrown in her direction had not made impact with her body. She did always have impeccable timing so she was sure she'd dodged in time, but still. Whatever had been thrown at her was sharp, and it had been thrown with the precision of someone who had training in handling weapons. She had to keep her guard up until she figured out just who had decided to camp out at the company safe house.

This did happen sometimes. Overwatch had thousands of safe houses scattered across many continents. Usually they picked secluded, run down locations like this one, so they were bound to have strays wander in sometimes. That's what Lena had figured when she walked in to hear someone grunting slightly in their sleep in the topside living room. What she didn't expect was for said person to wake up so suddenly and quieten their movements purposefully, giving Lena the feeling that they were trying to scope her out just as much as she was them.

In retrospect rushing in had probably been a bad move on Lena's behalf, but she'd never had the patience for silent stand offs so she figured she'd just move the process along a little quicker. For the second time that night, Lena was met with something totally unexpected in the form of a sharp projectile coming way too close to her chest for comfort. Which left her in her current predicament.

Lena still hadn't gotten a good look at the perpetrator, but from the flash she'd caught they were small like her, and fast.

'Well, not as fast as me.' She mused to herself triumphantly.

Self-praise aside though, Lena needed to figure out her next move. At this point she thought it very unlikely that this person was just an innocent bystander who had wandered into an Overwatch safe house by accident. They were clearly trained in some form of combat, and assassins or spys from Talon or other smaller organisations who opposed Overwatch were always a possibility. Lena had to prepare for a fight.

She was jostled out of her strategizing by a shout from the other room.

"WHO ARE YOU?!" The voice echoed slightly in the empty house.

Lena's opponent was female, and young by the sounds of it, definitely a teenager. While it wouldn't surprise Lena in the least if Talon were recruiting teenagers for their dirty work, she was almost certain now that wasn't the case with this young woman. Firstly it didn't bode well for her to give herself away when Lena knew practically nothing about her opponent before this point. Secondly, as much as she tried to hide it with bravado, there was fear in the girl's voice, a fear that Lena felt was genuine enough for her to lower her guard somewhat and approach the girl.

Lena knew the far end of the living room would be shadowed from the light pouring in from the hole in the roof, so she blinked to that position so she could get a good look at the girl before she was able to see Lena. She needed to know how much of her guard she could let down, better to be safe than sorry.

Once she was settled in position, it took only a second for the young girl to whip her body around, facing Lena, no doubt searching for her face in the darkness.

Lena had been right; the girl was a teenager and quite petite, standing a few inches shorter than herself. The young woman certainly looked like she had seen better days. Her silvery blonde hair was dishevelled and wild, falling messily over her face and shoulders. Her jeans were torn and her singlet was stained, covered mostly by her black leather jacket. It also worried Lena that the girl had visible injuries. She appeared to have a messily patched up wound on her forehead and her right hand was haphazardly wrapped in a bandage that was stained slightly with blood. The girl looked like she had been in some kind of brawl, but hadn't sought out proper medical attention, which furthered Lena's belief that she wasn't with some agency sent here. Lena spared a short moment to glance around the room, noting the girl's few belongings. Lena didn't like to make assumptions, but it seemed like the girl was a runaway or perhaps homeless? Either way, Lena had stewed in the dark for long enough, she needed to approach the girl and find out what she had been doing here. Needless to say this was still an Overwatch safe house, and Lena didn't ignore the way the girl stood in a perfect battle stance. Runaway or not, the girl was obviously trained in hand to hand combat.

The girl was on edge, which actually looked funny in comparison to her small stature and dishevelled state, which made Lena spontaneously giggle at the thought. The girl visibly tensed, so Lena thought it was time to reveal herself. She stepped out into moonlit room casually, trying to relax the girl.

Lena did not miss the way the girl's eyes scanned her from head to toe, assessing her as a potential threat and no doubt thinking of ways to counter her if Lena decided to attack. Lena's casual approach seemed to throw the girl off, so Lena decided it would be best to stop advancing and give the girl time to assess her.

Lena broke the silence with a reply to the girl's previous question:

"It's funny Luv, I was about to ask you the same thing."

Lena had hoped to calm the girl with her conversational tone, that and she really did want to know who this young girl was.

The girl didn't budge or respond, her eyes still trained on Lena with suspicion. 'So serious!' Lena thought to herself amusedly.

When the silence dragged out too long for Lena's liking, she again pierced it with small talk.

"Nice throw by the way, I thought for real you were gonna hit me there Luv! You're not some crazy assassin or anything are ya?" Lena asked in an amused tone, pointing towards the glass shard embedded in the wooden wall behind the girl.

The girl didn't look away from Lena, which Lena had expected, but seemed to consider something before answering dryly:

"I'd be a pretty lousy assassin if I missed a target at that close a range."

Lena was thankful the girl had actually responded, she hated staring contests. She also seemed to be relaxing slightly, so Lena decided to push her first question again.

"What's your name Luv?" Lena asked in a casual tone, trying to keep the mood light and make the young girl feel comfortable in their current situation.

The girl narrowed her eyes suspiciously like Lena had just asked her to sign over her soul. This girl really had trust issues.

Lena, deciding to lead by example, gave the girl her own name: "My name's Lena by the way. Listen Luv, I don't know what you were doing here but I promise I'm not gonna hurt you or anything. I just wanna know how you stumbled across this place okay?"

The girl seemed to consider a moment, before relaxing slightly and standing up out of her battle pose. She did not completely lower her guard though and still regarded Lena with caution.

"Alex." She stated softly.

"Alex huh?" Lena echoed.

She sighed with relief, she was finally getting somewhere. Now that she had a name she wasn't sure how to approach what would come next. The girl was obviously not old enough to be running around on her own so either she had run away from home or again the possibility of homelessness crossed Lena's mind. It was a sensitive issue and Lena didn't want to assume, so she tried the most casual approach possible.

"Is there anyone I can call to come and pick you up?" Lena tried.

The girl frowned at Lena.

"No." She responded simply.

'Boy she really likes these one word answers!' Lena thought. She was just about to reply when the girl added reluctantly:

"I'm… waiting for someone."

"Waiting for someone huh? Did they tell you to wait here?" Lena inquired curiously.

"Yes." Came Alex's simple reply.

Lena was confused now. Who would ask a young girl to wait for them in some run down house on the outskirts of town?! Was she involved with shady people? Looking at the girl in front of her Lena couldn't really see her being involved in business like that. Sure she looked a little roughed up with her wounds, but her face looked way too innocent. Lena just couldn't figure it out. She could tell the girl was starting to pick up on her confusion because her brows were furrowed together in a frown as if what she was saying to Lena made perfect sense and Lena was the fool for not knowing why she was here. The girl looked way too cute, which made Lena suddenly laugh again, causing the girl to jolt slightly.

Lena calmed herself down from her fit of laughter and apologised to the girl. "Sorry Luv! I'm just trying to make sense of the situation is all. So someone asked you to meet them here? You know that this is private property right?"

The girl's eyes seemed to widen in realisation and she looked towards her backpack on the run down couch. She made a move for the bag before pausing to look back up at Lena cautiously. Apparently deciding it was safe enough to proceed, she continued her move and opened up the backpack.

"I have a letter." She stated, pulling out a crumpled piece of paper and holding it out towards Lena expectantly.

Lena stepped forward, taking the paper from the other girl's hand. The girl looked away from Lena for the first time, which Lena took as both a sign of trust and a hint that she should read the letter.

_To Miss Alex Cross._

_I apologise for writing to you out of the blue, we have never met and I'm not sure whether you will have heard of me, but I know you quite well._

_In regards to Daishin's passing, you have my deepest condolences. Your guardian was an honoured member of the Shambali and a dear friend of mine._

"Wait!" Lena was interrupted by the girl in front of her. Lena looked up at her curiously and the girl blushed slightly.

"Don't read the first bit." She said quietly, before adding "Just the last two paragraphs, about the house." She finished before looking away again.

Unfortunately Lena felt she had already read too much and knew what the girl didn't want her to know, but nonetheless she respected the girl's wishes and skipped to the end of the letter:

_I will be arriving in King's Row in 7 days and have a company safe house there where we may meet up. I have given you the coordinates of this safe house with this letter, as well as a train ticket from your current location to King's Row, valid for the next month._

_I understand that this might seem overwhelming given your current circumstances, and odd coming from somebody you've never met, or possibly heard of, but I assure you I only have yours and Daishin's best interests at heart. If you need to take some time, before agreeing to meet, please do so. As I said, your train ticket is valid for one month so there is no rush._

_I look forward to meeting you._

_Kind Regards,_

_Tekhartha Zenyatta_

Lena finished the letter and suddenly all the pieces fell into place.

Zenyatta was a member of Overwatch, a nomadic member who rarely became involved in company affairs, but a trusted member nonetheless. From what Lena had seen of the letter, which was more than enough to get a hold on the situation the girl was in, whether she wanted her to or not, Zenyatta had relations to the girl's former guardian, a member of the Shambali: an organisation which Zenyatta was also loosely tied to. Being that this Daishin had recently passed Lena had guessed there were no other relatives to take care of the girl so Zenyatta had obviously stepped in, although of what he intended for the girl Lena had no idea.

She briefly humoured the idea of the calm and collected Zenyatta trying to take care of the broody girl in front of her. The thought was rather amusing. But for now Lena decided to focus on the current matter at hand. She was positive the letter was written in Zenyatta's handwriting meaning he had intended to meet Alex at the Overwatch safe house located here. He had obviously failed to mention his affiliation with Overwatch or the fact that the safe house was not the current pile of rubble they were standing in, but below their very feet. He'd obviously intended to get here before the girl to let her in.

Lena however could not just let her in without being 100% certain, so she pulled out her phone and dialled Zenyatta's number. She remembered the day they had forced him to get a phone. He was definitely opposed to the idea, being the 'free spirit' that he was, but the company had assured him it was necessary for business purposes so he had reluctantly agreed. The phone rang three times before she heard a familiar greeting on the other end.

"Zenyatta speaking." He said formally.

By now the girl was observing Lena cautiously, so Lena said his name first to ease her suspicion.

"Zenyatta! Long time no see!"

Alex seemed to relax slightly, but began to fidget nervously when she heard who Lena was talking to.

"Indeed it has been quite some time Miss Oxton. I assume you didn't call merely to catch up however?" Zenyatta replied formally, which made Lena giggle. He had always been so stoic and to the point.

"Not this time I'm afraid Luv. I don't suppose you're currently on your way to King's Row are ya?" she replied casually.

"Why yes, I am about a day away." Zenyatta confirmed.

Lena smiled and turned to face Alex, who seemed to be shying away guiltily.

"Well, I just got to the safe house tonight and ran into a lovely young woman who appears to be waiting for you."

The blush had returned to Alex's face and Lena couldn't help but think how cute she looked underneath all the broodiness. Her train of thought was interrupted by Zenyatta's voice through the phone.

"I see." He responded slightly surprised. "I had not expected Miss Cross to be arriving for a few days, and I had certainly not expected her to wait on me."

"It's alright Luv, I'm gonna be here for a few days anyway so I'm happy to let her in until you get here."

"That would be most appreciated Miss Oxton. Miss Cross's information has already been added to the Overwatch database, so she should be recognized by the system. Please tell her that I will be arriving tomorrow evening and that I apologise for her having to wait on me. Thank you again Miss Oxton." He said gratefully.

Lena replied back lightly "Don't worry about it, she's a delight." Lena added before winking at Alex, causing Alex to blush again and avoid her gaze. "We'll seeya tomorrow night then." Lena finished before hanging up.

She signed in relief before addressing Alex.

"Well Luv, looks like we got that all sorted, how about I show you into the real safe house so you can sleep on something better than that run down couch?"

Lena held out the crumpled letter for Alex, which she took reluctantly and put back into her backpack before gathering her few possessions together to follow Lena.

Lena led them back through the hallway and into what looked like an old library. Alex observed her movements carefully, expecting her to pull a book or something to reveal a secret doorway. Lena tapped a few buttons on what looked like a watch on her wrist, and the floorboards in front of her lowered slightly before sliding away to reveal a small staircase leading down to a metal door that looked to Alex like a vault door. Well she had been right about the secret doorway anyway.

As they approached the door, Lena placed her right hand on a scanner before stating: "Lena Oxton. Call sign: Tracer."

The door made a short high pitched beep sound and several latches unlocking were heard before the door automatically opened inward, lights turning on inside by sensor.

Alex was in a state of awe at the futuristic events that were happening in front of her, feeling like she was in the middle of some epic spy movie or something.

Lena could see the state of awe the girl was in and giggled before adding "Pretty cool huh?"

Alex nodded without thinking, her broody and reserved bravado slipping away at the prospect of all the cool tech around her.

Lena gestured for Alex to step forward to the scanner. Alex did so obediently and placed her right hand on the pad at Lena's urging, the screen beeping for a second before turning green.

"Now just state your name Luv." Lena said encouragingly.

"Uhh, Alex Cross." Alex said awkwardly, before adding as an afterthought: "Call sign, uhh, none?"

Lena laughed at this, roughing the girl's hair in an affectionate gesture.

Alex was thrown off by the sudden contact at first, and flinched slightly. Lena must have noticed because she paused her movement, only continuing when Alex seemed to lean into the touch. Alex would never admit it, but she kind of enjoyed the affection of the gesture once she was past the initial shock. Daishin had never really been the hugging type and she generally didn't get along with many people so she never really had an opportunity for human to human contact. It kind of felt nice. Lena seemed nice too.

Suddenly Alex became super aware of how close she was to the other woman and even though it seemed she had craved human contact she felt awkward now that she was thinking about it too much so she looked for an excuse to break the contact without being super awkward about it.

She noticed a familiar looking logo at the top of the scanning pad and racked her brain for where she had seen it before. A poster perhaps? Her eyes widened as she suddenly remembered where she'd seen the logo and what Lena had said earlier. Tracer. Her call sign was Tracer.

Realisation hit Alex like a bullet train and she suddenly felt like an idiot for not putting the pieces together sooner. While she'd never seen the hero in person, she had seen her on various posters and now that she thought about it the blue blinking made sense and really the blue contraption on the woman's chest should have been a dead give-away.

She suddenly felt the urge to laugh at her own stupidity, but stifled it so she didn't look like a complete idiot in front of the other woman.

"You're _the_ Tracer?" She said, more as a statement than a question.

Lena seemed to pick up on the girl's realisation and smiled cheerfully before replying jokingly: "Well I don't know if I'm _the_ Tracer, but I certainly don't know anyone else who goes by that name."

Again, as more of a statement rather than a question, Alex added "This is an Overwatch safe house."


	5. Chapter 5

It was midday by the time Alex had finally dragged herself out of bed, quite literally in this instance. She had been drained since the beginning of her trip to King's Row and sleeping on that run down couch upstairs hadn't been the most comfortable experience in the world. Discomfort aside, she hadn't been sleeping much since what happened with Daishin. She hated to admit it for fear of seeming weak, but she was also emotionally exhausted. With everything that had happened she'd been more on edge lately and the more on edge she was the more the nightmares returned and well, the more walls she punched. She laughed inwardly at her own stupidity as she looked down at her still injured knuckles. She really needed a better outlet for her anger.

Needless to say, for the first time in weeks Alex had slept like a baby last night. Lena must have sensed her tiredness last night because she barely showed Alex around before pointing her towards the safe house's bedrooms. Alex had the privilege of sleeping on a real bed which honestly felt like heaven after the couch. Lena had also been nice enough to point out the adjoining bathroom, no doubt as bothered by Alex's stench as herself. It was hardly Alex's fault that she'd been unable to shower for a couple of days and she had run quite a distance the day before in the same clothes she was wearing. In retrospect she probably should have brought more changes of clothes but Alex never went on trips anywhere so she didn't even think of that. Needless to say, she took full advantage of the shower before crashing for the night.

She laughed at the thought of what she must have looked like at first glance. Dirty, smelly, dishevelled, not to mention her wounds. She would have thought she was homeless. Speaking of wounds, Lena had been kind enough to provide Alex with fresh bandages too. She'd offered to dress the wounds for Alex, but for some reason Alex was embarrassed by that prospect and politely declined. Thankfully Lena hadn't asked how Alex had sustained the injuries and Alex was perfectly okay to let her think she'd been in a fight or something. It was far less embarrassing than the reality of her fist fight with the wall and a run in with a street bench. Yeah, a real fist fight definitely sounded cooler.

Alex dragged her tired self to the bathroom to wash her face in the hopes of waking herself up more. She had slept in quite a bit and she didn't want Lena to think she was some lazy slob. Daishin would have made her train so many extra hours for being so lazy. She giggled at the thought of him sighing at her in his signature way that he seemed to do at least 5 times a day.

Now that Alex thought about it, she wasn't actually sure why she cared what Lena thought about her. Usually she didn't care at all what people thought of her. If anyone even looked at her weirdly she didn't hesitate to call them out, possibly beat them up just to teach them a lesson. For some reason though she seemed to care way too much about this Lena woman's impression of her. Alex was lost in thought about these curious feelings as she caught herself twirling her hair in the mirror. As soon as she realised what she was doing, she slapped her cheeks hard, looking away from her reflection and turning on the cold tap hastily to wash her face, and hopefully the stupid awkwardness she was feeling away.

Once she had collected herself, she checked her mech eye to make sure everything was functioning correctly and that there was nothing to give away the fact that her eye was in fact mechanical, something she did regularly to make sure her secret didn't get out. Satisfied, she walked out of the small ensuite and back into the bedroom she was currently staying in.

The room was medium in size, with a few Overwatch posters scattered around the walls and two sets of bunk beds. Alex imagined when there were several members gathered here at once they would share the rooms, but as it stood, she and Lena were the only two occupying the safe house currently, so they'd opted for separate rooms. Not that Alex had ever considered sharing a room with the other woman.

Alex hadn't seen much of the rest of the place yet. It had been dark last night and only essential lighting had switched on automatically upon their entering. That and even through the excitement she'd been tired as hell so Lena hadn't really shown her around, insisting there was time for that today.

Speaking of, Alex figured she should probably make her state of consciousness known to the other party. She pulled on her jeans, having only slept in her underwear last night since the room was plenty warm, and ruffled through her bag for another singlet. The one she'd been wearing the past few days was sweat stained from her run yesterday and didn't smell too great. Despite her not packing an extra set of jeans or jacket, or pyjamas, or really anything else, at the very least she'd brought a second singlet. She threw on the dark blue garment, followed by her signature black leather jacket. She didn't think her boots were necessary unless they went outside, so she opted to leave them off for now. Lena would probably rather not have to smell her socks in their current state anyway. Maybe Alex could ask if they had a washing machine here? Surely they would right?

Despite her jumpiness from the previous days, Alex was a lot more relaxed now. Perhaps it was at the fact that now she knew Zenyatta's affiliation was to Overwatch. Overwatch was a company of heroes, do-gooders, so at the very least Alex felt comfort in the fact that she was probably safe here. She also seemed to trust this Lena person too. She'd heard all about the hero Tracer in stories and they'd all painted her to be the noble, hero type. It wasn't just the fact that she was Tracer though. Alex would never admit it to anyone or even herself, but deep down she felt she could trust the other woman, even after only knowing her a very short time.

Alex opened her bedroom door onto a hallway that stretched both to the left and right. There were several other doorways scattered along the walls, no doubt other bedrooms like the one Alex had slept in. They all looked the same, and Alex wasn't quite sure which way she should go or where Lena would even be. She stepped out and noticed something under her right foot. It was a small folded piece of paper. Alex leant down and picked the sheet up, opening it to reveal a note.

_Mornin Luv. I didn't really show you around last night, but when you wake up, I'll probably be in the living room, just take a left down the hallway and then a right at the end. Cheers, Lena._

Alex inwardly thanked the other woman for sparing her the time and effort of opening every door until she found her. She scrunched up the note, shoving it into her left pocket and headed in the direction the note had specified.

Alex found the living room easily thanks to Lena's direction. It was located in one big room right next to a kitchen/dining area, rather open so you could see most of the room from any point in either of the separate areas. The walls were mostly white, but out here they were decorated more elaborately. There were a lot more posters of various Overwatch heroes, group photos, notes, newspaper clippings. It felt pretty homey for a company safe house and Alex briefly wondered if Zenyatta would be in any of the photos. Alex had walked through from the kitchen side and heard Lena on the other side, behind one of the lounges in the living room. It sounded like she was grunting and, curious, Alex walked over to see what the other woman was doing. As she rounded the lounge, Alex saw that Lena was stretched out on the floor between the few lounges, doing sit ups on a yoga mat. For some reason the sight made Alex blush and she looked away abruptly before coughing awkwardly to indicate her presence to the other woman.

Lena looked up at the younger woman and smiled, stopping her sit ups and jumping to her feet in a swift motion.

"Mornin Luv." She greeted happily. "Well, maybe not so much morning huh?" She added jokingly afterwards.

Alex blushed slightly and scratched at her head. "Yeah, sorry about that."

"Don't worry about it. I'm glad you slept well." Lena replied, smiling kindly at the girl.

This made Alex blush even more and she found it awkward to sustain eye contact so she averted her gaze. Lena picked up on the movement and smiled slightly to herself, but didn't say anything.

"You hungry Luv?" She asked.

As if on cue Alex's stomach groaned loudly, just when she thought her face couldn't get any redder. Lena let out a sweet laugh and added "I'll take that as a yes. Come on, I'll get you some lunch while I go take a shower."

Lena had prepared Alex a few sandwiches, which Alex was truly grateful for, much better than the stuff she'd bought from the corner store, leaving her alone to dine as she went and showered off the sweat of her morning workout. Truth be told Alex was kind of grateful for the privacy. She didn't know why she felt so awkward around the other woman so it gave her time to get her shit together.

She finished the food way too fast and rinsed her plate in the sink. Lena had also given her a glass of juice which she also consumed way too quickly. She had definitely been hungry.

While she was waiting for Lena to finish her shower she decided to distract herself by looking at some of the photos that were collaged around the living room walls. She spotted Lena in a few, and a few of the more prominent members of Overwatch she recognized from posters she'd seen around Bradford. The big gorilla was hard to mistake, Winston was his name if she recalled correctly. The other few she recognised were Reinhardt, the massive German guy in the armour with the equally massive hammer, and the older looking man, Soldier something? She thought she might have recognised some of the others from posters and on TV, but she couldn't place names to faces. A few of the members in the photos were Omnics, so any one of them could have been Zenyatta. She figured she'd ask Lena about it.

While Alex only knew the more prominent members by sight, from posters and sometimes commercials, she knew of the origins of Overwatch and the Omnic crisis that called for its establishment. The Omnic crisis was taught in history in most schools, and even though Alex had been home-schooled by Daishin most of her high school life, she was well versed in history. Obviously Daishin had been quite passionate about the history surrounding the Omnic crisis and its ramifications seeing as it had a more direct effect on his lifestyle. The crisis had ended and Overwatch disbanded, only to later be re-established to help out with other military and security issues. Unfortunately though the discrimination towards Omnics still prevailed. Alex recalled a few times that people had looked at Daishin weirdly in the streets. It mainly happened when they went into the city, which was part of the reason Alex had hated going there. She'd always get fired up at anyone who looked at them wrong and Daishin would have to drag her away from a fight. She hated it. Daishin was just Daishin. Her teacher, her mentor, her father. If people wanted to mess with him they'd sure as hell have to go through her first!

Alex had heard rumours that the Omnic-Human relations were particularly bad here in King's Row. Truth be told it was part of the reason she'd been nervous to come here. Ever since she'd lost her eye. She'd been lucky really. An eye is something small and easily disguised. Sadly the Omnic discrimination didn't stop with just Omnics. Anyone who had cybernetic body parts were also targeted in some cases, with some people fearing that they were 'half-machine' or something. It was part of the reason Alex went to great lengths to keep her eye a secret. She was way too hot headed and impulsive to deal with anyone's shit. It was good when Daishin was around. He was the voice of reason and kept her from getting herself into too much trouble. Truth be told she didn't really know how to live without him at her side yet. It felt like he'd been with her forever.

She was interrupted from her thoughts by Lena re-entering the room.

"Wat'cha lookin at?" She asked cheerfully as she came to stand by Alex's side.

Alex pointed to the photo montage before replying "I was looking at the photos of you guys. I recognise some of the other Overwatch members from posters and on TV. I was actually wondering if any of them were Zenyatta?"

Lena considered before looking over the photos briefly. She assessed the many faces of her friends and practically family, but didn't spot Zenyatta's face anywhere.

"Nope. Sorry Luv. Zenyatta does hate technology though so I doubt there's a photo of him in any of the safe houses." Lena said amusedly, earning a giggle from Alex too.

"I thought it was weird that he wrote that letter to me in ink rather than just sending an email or something." Alex replied in the same amused tone.

After pointing out some of the other members in the photos to Alex and explaining some of their personalities very vividly, Lena gave Alex a quick tour of the whole place before they settled back on one of the couches in the living room.

Lena looked at the clock on the wall. Almost 2pm. Zenyatta had told her he'd be there later that evening, most likely after the two women were asleep. Knowing that Alex would have an intense day tomorrow discussing whatever needed to be discussed with the Omnic regarding her circumstances, Lena thought something relaxed and fun would be a nice way for them to spend the rest of the day.

"Wanna have a movie marathon? We've got a bunch of DVDs, heck, they might even have some new ones down there. Whaddaya say?" Lena asked Alex.

Alex's eyes lit up. She loved movies. Daishin didn't have a TV, not a fan of technology either, and so she didn't get a chance to watch movies often. Sometimes Daishin would take her to the cinema as a treat or when she begged him hard enough. When she was 13 she'd figured out how to sneak into her local cinema undetected so she had more chances to see films from then onwards, much to Daishin's chagrin. She bounced slightly in her seat and nodded eagerly at Lena. Lena giggled at how childlike and cute Alex seemed all of a sudden, but was happy that she was into the idea. She wasn't really sure what they had or what the girl liked, so she rummaged through the cabinet and pulled out a few different options from different genres for them to choose from. Seeing as Alex seemed to be super excited, Lena decided to let her pick the first movie, which of course had to be a thriller: Rise of the Zomnics. Lena had seen it already, but thrillers and horrors still gave her chills. Alex seemed happy though and Lena didn't want to rain on her parade.

She popped the DVD in and turned the massive 72 inch TV on. She fixed them some popcorn and chips from the kitchen and had Alex grab two sodas. They settled into the lounge and started the movie.

They were 40 minutes into the film and a distressed woman was just about to open a door after hearing eerie sounds behind it when Lena's phone suddenly started ringing, causing both women to jump abruptly in fright, and Lena to squeal. She hastily fumbled for the remote and paused the film before checking her phone to see who she'd be yelling at for scaring the living hell out of her! Man she really didn't do horror.

Her anger subsided when she looked at the caller ID and she smiled to herself. Alex had looked her way curiously after she'd paused the movie, coming down from her own adrenaline rush the sudden call had caused.

"Sorry Luv, do you mind if I take this real quick? I won't be long." Lena asked apologetically.

Alex thought it curious that Lena had asked for her permission, but she didn't let her confusion show and just nodded her response.

"Thanks Luv." Lena replied happily and jumped up off the couch and walked over towards the kitchen, leaning on the breakfast bar and answering her phone.

"Hi Babe." Lena said chirpily to the person on the phone.

A thick French accent purred in response from the other end of the line. "Salut Chérie. How's my favourite Overwatch agent this evening?"

Lena was never, not turned on by that sweet, think accent. She giggled before adding. "I'm doing great _now_ Luv!"

"You seem rather flustered Chérie. Have you been thinking about me?" The voice replied seductively.

Lena blushed and turned to hide her face from the living room.

"No!" She replied defensively. "Well, yes! But that's not why I'm flustered! For your information I was watching a scary movie and you bloody well scared the living shite out of me when the phone started ringing!"

"But you hate horror films." The voice responded slightly confused.

"Well yeah, usually. But I have company at the moment." Lena replied.

"Ooh. Should I be jealous?" The voice asked in a seductive tone again.

"Depends." Lena replied cockily, before whispering seductively: "Does that turn you on?"

Lena giggled at her own brashness, but remembering she had company, calmed herself down. She heard the woman on the other end of the line click her tongue impatiently.

"When are you coming back again?" The voice asked in a husky tone.

Lena giggled quietly, before replying in her cocky tone "I'll be back there sometime next week. Think you'll be okay without me Luv?"

"Never." Came the hasty reply.

They shared their goodbyes and Lena hung up the phone before making her way back down to the couch where Alex was waiting.

Alex had heard snippets of the conversation and once she'd gathered the context she blushed profusely and tried her very hardest not to listen to what Lena was saying. Lena had obviously been speaking to her partner and Alex didn't know why but for some reason it stirred an unfamiliar and uncomfortable emotion in her stomach and heart. Man, she really didn't like dealing with all these new emotions. They were way too confusing.

When she heard Lena was ending the call she hastily gulped down a few mouthfuls of her soda in an attempt to cool her face down so Lena wouldn't see her blush, which lead to her choking on said soda and coughing and spluttering awkwardly as Lena came to sit beside her. Lena obviously realised Alex had heard her conversation because her cheeks were a light shade of pink as well. The two looked at each other awkwardly for a moment before Lena picked up a bowl of snacks to have something to occupy herself with and asked:

"Should we finish the film then?"

"Y-yep, definitely!"


	6. Chapter 6

Alex stared at the bottom of the mattress above her. Despite having a comfy bed to sleep in again, last night hadn't been quite as pleasant as the previous night.

Alex and Lena had stayed up til about midnight when Lena suggested that the two should turn in for the night so that Alex would be well rested for her meeting with Zenyatta today. Alex could tell by the look in Lena's eyes that she knew why Zenyatta was coming. She'd seen too much of the letter obviously. As much as Alex hated admitting mistakes, it was her fault for not realising and stopping her sooner. If there was one thing she hated more than jackasses, it was sympathy. Still, at least Lena had tried to make it sound casual and not be all 'sorry for your loss'. Alex was thankful for that.

Lena was surprisingly cool actually. The more time Alex spent with the woman, the more she decided she really liked her. Maybe in all of this mess she'd actually make a friend. If only Daishin could see her now! The thought made her giggle, but it came out sorrowful rather than joyful.

Alex slapped both her cheeks to snap out of it. Today was no doubt going to be annoying and awkward as hell, the last thing she needed to be right now was emotional on top of being tired. Speaking of, she rolled over and picked up her phone from the bedside table and clicked the home button.

"8.15am."

Alex rolled back over and groaned into her pillow. She'd been lying awake practically the whole night but she figured she wasn't going to get any sleep from now on anyway. Zenyatta was probably a morning person anyway she guessed. She could head out there now and see if he was awake, but Alex still wasn't sure if she was ready for that confrontation. She decided taking a shower would help to clear her head, and hopefully make her look more awake than she felt.

She dragged herself up groggily, and made her way towards the bathroom. On her way she noticed a small pile of clothes sitting beside the door leading into the room. Lena must have brought them in sometime this morning. 'Damn.' Alex thought. 'How early did these people wake up?!'

Alex looked down at the small pile of clothes containing everything she had brought with her, and then remembered what she was currently wearing. Looking down at the slightly too big t-shirt she was wearing now she blushed profusely and slapped her cheeks again, hard this time.

Alex had asked for a place to wash her clothes last night and thankfully the safe house had a laundry. Since Alex hadn't brought any extra changes of clothes she figured she'd just wash half of them and make do, that was until Lena had oh-so-kindly offered her one of her old t-shirts to wear to sleep so that Alex could wash all of her clothes at once. Alex had blushed, much like she was doing now, and tried to politely decline, but Lena was having none of it and practically forced the item of clothing into her arms. She'd then left Alex alone to strip down and wash her clothes, leaving her in only Lena's old shirt for the night, and currently what she was left in. Alex absentmindedly pulled the front of the shirt up slightly and sniffed the fabric.

"Smells sweet." She said quietly to herself, smiling.

After a few moments Alex realised how creepy and weird she was being and slapped herself for the third time that morning, groaning very audibly this time and hoping the ungraceful sound hadn't caught the attention of the other two occupants of the safe house.

She grabbed her own clothes from the pile, and continued into the bathroom. Noting her dishevelled morning state in the mirror, she figured she'd wash her hair again today in an attempt to look less like a homeless person. First impressions were everything right? Or at least she'd heard. This made her laugh because Lena's first impression of her had been horrible. She pulled of Lena's shirt surprisingly elegantly and stepped into the shower, turning the taps until she was satisfied with the temperature.

As she washed her hair she thought about the all of the unpleasantries that would come with today's discussion. Zenyatta had mentioned speaking of her future and what Daishin's wishes had been for that future. Honestly she'd never really given the topic too much thought before. It's true that she had finished her home-schooling in advance due to Daishin's…intense teaching methods. She'd finished the high school syllabus a year before she was supposed to. Maybe being tied to schooling hours is what dragged out the process? Daishin didn't really follow the rules and sometimes they'd study all day before he was satisfied with her results. As for what she would do after that, again she hadn't thought too much about it. She just kinda figured she'd continue studying under Daishin, learning more about the world and its history. History had always been her favourite subject. Daishin also ran a small business of making mechanical prosthetics; in fact he was the one who'd made Alex's eye. Alex worked there as his assistant and had learned a bit about the trade. She figured if given more time she could eventually take over for him and make her own cool gadgets. Daishin had always told her she had a knack for figuring out how things worked, is that what her wanted for her then? Is that what she wanted? Alex just didn't know.

Alex had this crazy idea that she'd go out on some amazing adventure when she was ready, and see the world. Daishin had travelled the world many times over and as such it seemed like he had lifetimes of knowledge to share. Alex wanted to learn all kinds of new things herself, and when she was done she'd come back home to where Daishin was waiting for her and finally she'd teach him something new. But Daishin wouldn't be waiting now. Alex felt robbed somehow. Robbed of her stupid dream, robbed of Daishin, the one person in the world who kept her sane. She now had all these decisions to make and she had no idea where to start or what to do or what Daishin would have wanted or even what she wanted herself.

Alex had managed to avoid these thoughts for a little while after Daishin had passed, but now with Zenyatta here ready to meet with her, she felt she could no longer avoid them and it was starting to feel overwhelming. She absentmindedly hit the wall of the shower, not hard enough to cause damage like with the wall upstairs, and not fuelled with anger this time. This time it was more out of defeated frustration.

The water ran down her back as she leaned against the shower wall, her mind abuzz with too many thoughts to keep up with. She leaned her forehead on the cool tile surface and sighed.

"I'll wait and see what Zenyatta has to say before I make any decisions." She said to herself resolutely, trying to lift her spirits and give herself a pep talk of sorts.

She figured there was no point in getting worked up now until she knew what she was dealing with. There'd be plenty of time for getting worked up later.

"That sounds like future Alex's problem." She laughed at herself, raising her spirits a little. The warm water pouring over her body was also relaxing, helping her to calm down.

Alex decided that for right now she would just enjoy the rest of her shower and deal with the rest as it came. She grabbed the shower gel and poured some over her hands. There had been sponges in the cabinet but Alex wasn't sure if they belonged to someone and the idea of using someone else's sponge felt wrong. She settled for just pouring the liquid soap into her hands and lathering herself up that way. It used up probably more soap than the sponge would have, but Alex figured they probably had heaps lying around anyway. This was kind of like a holiday so why not indulge right?

Alex turned around to face the window side of the shower, her front facing away from the water so she could lather her arms and chest. As she was washing herself, her gaze wandered to Lena's shirt which she had draped over the bench by the sink. Alex suddenly felt increasingly warm even though the shower remained at the same temperature. She remembered the feeling of the soft fabric against her otherwise naked body and her cheeks flushed a deep red. She imagined the smell of the shirt, the smell of its owner, and suddenly images of Lena wearing the shirt invaded Alex's mind.

Alex began washing herself slower, unconsciously focusing her movements on her chest in slow circular motions around her breasts. She closed her eyes and imagined Lena wearing that shirt and only that shirt, strolling towards her in the shower, swaying her hips ever so slowly as she approached. Alex's right hand involuntarily slid down her body slowly, moving past her stomach and between her legs, her middle finger just making contact in the spot that Alex needed it the most right now, causing her to gasp audibly. The gasp snapped Alex out of her trance and her eyes shot open as she quickly whipped her hands away from her body and placed them awkwardly at her sides. Her face felt hot and flustered and her stomach felt like it was knotting under some kind of pressure. Catching sight of the shirt again Alex felt the knot in her stomach tighten and, fearing the urges would come back in full swing again, she grabbed the hot water tap and turned it off completely, flinching at the sudden temperature change in the water. She stood in the cold shower until it started to feel numbing against her skin. Feeling satisfied that she'd squashed any unwanted desires down, she turned off the shower and wrapped a towel around her now shivering body.

Stepping out of the shower, Alex picked up the offending object and threw it haphazardly into the corner of the other room, out of sight for now.

She was a mess. And today she really needed to be, well, slightly less of a mess.


	7. Chapter 7

Alex stared at the starry sky through her make-shift skylight. It was a full moon tonight she supposed because the lounge room of the run down house was almost fully lit. She lied back on the same run down couch she'd spent her first night sleeping on. She'd hated it at the time, because if she was being honest it was uncomfortable as hell to sleep on, but after today she felt somewhat nostalgic towards the crappy piece of furniture. It had been the starting of her little adventure, a fragment from her past life, however recent, before she had to deal with the crappy prospect of her future. She sighed loudly, furrowing her brow in an attempt to force away the headache that had been building up all day.

After a very long and tense discussion with Zenyatta, Alex had retreated to the lounge room of the run down house above the safe house to collect her thoughts. She really needed to be alone right now, and this place oddly enough was familiar and more calming than the safe house below. She hadn't seen Lena all day either. She must have headed out for the day to avoid the other two.

"Smart move." Alex said to herself. She sure as hell wouldn't have wanted to be a fly on the wall during that.

Alex was also grateful for Lena's absence for another reason though. After what happened in the shower this morning Alex wasn't sure she'd be able to look the other woman in the eye right now. It was definitely for the best that she was absent for now. The last thing Alex would have needed before her talk with Zenyatta was to feel even more awkward. That was a shit-storm of emotions Alex would have to deal with another time.

Fortunately Zenyatta had been nice enough, and he was surprisingly similar to Daishin. Zenyatta was much more polite than Daishin though, Alex thought to herself amusedly. They were both originally part of the Shambali, a peaceful Omnic organisation set on spreading wisdom and peace. While Zenyatta seemed to fit the part, Alex could never really imagine Daishin fitting in with a group like that. While he was indeed wise and disliked conflict, he could also be crude and sassy when the time called for it. He often whined to her about the organisation, saying they were all a bunch of do-gooders with no real plan. Maybe that's why he had left them? She didn't really know and he didn't really like talking in depth about his past, a trait they shared. Turns out Alex hated talking about her future just as much.

* * *

Zenyatta talked for a long time about his history and relationship with Daishin. It seemed they had travelled together for a while after leaving the Shambali. Alex briefly wondered if their relationship had ever been anything beyond friendship. Daishin didn't really have many friends to begin with, but the idea of him being romantically involved with anyone seemed bizarre. Still, it turned out there was still a lot she didn't know about the Omnic.

This chat went on for a while, that is, Zenyatta was talking and Alex merely listened. She figured he was trying to build her trust and give her an idea of the sort of person he was, since they'd never actually met in person. Once he had finished with his stories, the Omnic had paused for a bit, allowing Alex to soak up all of this new information, and no doubt giving her a moment to prepare for what was to come.

"Now. In regards to Daishin's passing and wishes for your future." Zenyatta stated calmly, again pausing for Alex.

This had been it. The conversation Alex had been dreading most since receiving the letter in the first place. Alex stiffened and sighed to herself, preparing herself for what was to come.

Surprisingly Zenyatta had been quick and to the point, almost business-like. Alex figured he must have been as uncomfortable as her and so he was trying to get this over and done with. She inwardly thanked him. Keeping emotions out of this suited her fine.

Most of it was pretty routine stuff Alex had figured. Daishin had owned his little house and adjoining shop in Bradford. Since he didn't have any other close family, and he'd legally adopted Alex a few years back, these were left to her. Alex hadn't really expected that, although she didn't expect to have to be talking about any of this at all. Sure Alex saw Daishin as a father, and she was sure he cared about her, but to leave her his property as if she were his? The thought that Daishin had also seen her as family warmed Alex's heart. She smiled inwardly but didn't let her emotions show on her face. Zenyatta had set the pace at 'business-like' for this conversation and she wasn't fond of getting emotional anyway so this was better.

Zenyatta then went on to explain that because Alex was still a 'child', as he so inelegantly put. Alex was almost 17, hardly a child she thought. But in the eyes of the law she was still a child until she turned 18. Because Alex was still, not an adult, she was unable to do anything with the house and shop until she turned 18, should she decide to sell it. Alex was sure she would never sell the house. It was her home. Although without Daishin around it had certainly felt less like a home lately. She wondered if she should travel now? Would that fill the void in her heart for a time? Again, Alex hated that she had to think about these things now. Her future was now unclear when before she'd always been so certain when Daishin was still around.

Alex was brought out of her thoughts by Zenyatta continuing.

"Because of your age, it is required by law that someone be appointed your guardian, or you return to custody of the state."

Alex's eyes widened in shock. 'Custody of the state'? She shuddered at the thought. Alex had crappy memories of her life spent in the orphanage before Daishin took her in. No way in hell was she ever going back to a place like that! She was almost 17, surely she could just look after herself?! She started to shake as memories began to surface, and Zenyatta must have picked up on this because he cleared his throat loudly to gain her attention and shake her out of her thoughts.

"There is no need to worry Miss Cross." He said calmingly before continuing. "Daishin has told me somewhat of your experience in the custody of the state and did not wish for you to fall back into the system. If there are no objections from you, Daishin had asked me to step in as your legal guardian should anything happen to him."

Zenyatta paused again. This information was huge and the girl needed time to process everything he was saying. So he waited calmly for the girl to be ready for him to continue.

Alex's mind was a whirlwind. She actually hadn't thought about this when she'd agreed to meet Zenyatta. She just figured that because she was only just over a year away from being 18 that they'd just recognise her as an adult and all would be well. She didn't really know this Zenyatta person and now he'd be her guardian? What did that even mean for her? Would she have to leave her home? Would that be best? Would it be better to be around someone rather than stewing alone in her grief? Would Zenyatta respect her own wishes for her future? What could he dictate? But surely having him as a guardian would be a million times better than being handed over to the state. Alex didn't want to seem rude, but she had to know. Instead of beating around the bush she just came right out and asked:

"What would that mean? If you were to become my guardian?"

Zenyatta sighed with relief. He was worried the girl would reject him outright, but she was considering the offer carefully and seeking information rationally which he was grateful for. He was expecting more outbursts from the girl during this whole process, as Daishin had told him she could be quite a handful. He could tell she was trying to be mature in this situation though so he replied in a reassuring manner.

"Daishin has informed me that you have completed your studies up until the end of high school level. As this is the case, law aside, you are practically an adult at this point, meaning that any decisions for your future are up to you Miss Cross. Daishin never left me with explicit wishes for your future other than making sure you had completed your high school studies, which you have already done. As for me being your guardian that can mean a few things. I will be legally responsible for you until you reach the age of 18. Up until that point however I do not wish to impose anything upon you. You may go back to your house in Bradford, you may choose to study at a university level, or you may come with me as I travel abroad. I leave the decision in your hands."

Their conversation had wrapped up pretty quickly after that. Zenyatta had insisted on Alex taking her time to process everything before coming to him with an answer. Before she had left however, he presented her with two letters. She accepted the envelopes and noticed Daishin's handwriting immediately, her name written neatly across the front of each letter. She also noticed a small number in the bottom corner of each letter.

"One and Two?" She asked curiously, looking up at Zenyatta.

"Daishin asked me to give you these as well in the case of his passing. He left explicit instructions that you should open envelope 'one' before opening 'two'. He sad to inform you that opening the letters in this order was of the utmost importance."

* * *

Alex lay back on her shabby couch, now looking up at the still unopened envelope 'one'. She'd made her way up here as soon as Zenyatta had dismissed her and had just been lying here ever since, catching her breath after everything that had happened today. She was as uncertain as ever at this point and she had a lot to think about. She looked at the letter in her hand with more uncertainty in her eyes. She gulped. This was a letter from Daishin. A letter written to her in the case of anything ever happening to him. What would a letter like that even entail? A letter that someone would only ever see once you were dead.

Alex felt a tear roll down her left cheek. She wiped it away furiously before sitting upright on the lounge.

"Come on Alex. You don't cry. That's not who you are!" She said to herself, frustrated.

Alex had barely cried since Daishin's passing, insisting on keeping up her bravado, but truth be told she was screaming on the inside. She wanted to cry. At least, she felt like she should. But the action had always seemed like a sign of weakness to her so she pushed the tears down and punched walls instead, you know, as you do.

Wanting to prove to herself that she wasn't weak, Alex ripped open the first letter. It was luckily bright enough in the lounge room with the moonlight pouring in that Alex could see the words quite clearly even without a lamp. Her mech eye also helped a little as it provided better night vision than her regular eye. Swallowing any hesitation she previously held, Alex read the letter written to her by her mentor.

_Alex, my student._

_If you are reading this letter, then that means time was not in my favour and I have moved on from this life of mine._

_I imagine you are putting up a brave front, but I urge you my student not to let grief consume you. I have regrettably left you in this world much quicker than I intended, and I apologise for that. I only hope you can find it in yourself to forgive me. You are not alone though my student. There are those around you who care for you, even if you don't know it. I'm also sure that you will meet many others in your life who bring you joy and care for you just as I did. I only wish that I had exposed you to more of the world while I was still living. Having a hermit for a mentor was probably not in your best interest huh?_

Alex laughed slightly at Daishin's bad attempts at humour. Still trying to lighten the mood even when he wasn't around. Alex sighed before continuing.

_While this old omnic was indeed a hermit, I once travelled the world young student. I hope that even during this sorrowful time you find the passion to explore the world yourself. I will always remember the way your eyes lit up whenever I spoke of my travels, and I had sincerely hoped to take you to the many places I had seen during my lifetime at some point. Unfortunately this dream of mine can no longer come to fruition. It may be a selfish request, but please explore the world for the both of us. I am certain that you could take over my omnic repair business on your own, but I think you deserve much more than that. There is an entire, beautiful world awaiting you my child._

_I had never really expressed my emotions fully around you, a trait you no doubt picked up from me, but you need to know that there was never a single day I regretted taking you in child. My life had hit a stalemate before I met you, a dishevelled and angry little stray trying to steal from my shop. I must say it was surprising to say the least. After that day I never did seem to be able to get rid of you completely. You insisted on working for me even after I had said I would not report you to the authorities. It was rather amusing. For so long I had wondered what had been missing in my life and before I knew it you were slowly filling that void._

_Before I continue I need you to know how proud I am of you. When I first met you, you were so angry at the world for what it had done to you. I know that what it took is something that could never be replaced, and I know how hard you struggled to look to the future rather than letting your past consume you, and I want you to know that you are incredibly strong Alex._

_I am not blind however, and I know that a part of you would always be stuck in that nightmare. I was always so focused on getting you to look to the future, but even so, you have always deserved answers. I was going to tell you this when you were 18, but I won't get the chance to do that now, and as much as I would love for you to focus on your future, I also understand that you deserve the answers you must undoubtedly seek about your past._

_Over the past few years, I have looked into the events that transpired that night. The night you lost your parents. I was not able to find much I'm afraid, as any records on the incident seem to have been hidden well. All of the information I did find is contained in the second letter I have instructed Zenyatta to pass on to you. I kept these letters separate to leave the decision to you. I truly believe your future is bright young one, and I would hate to see the darkness of your past affect that bright future. I am not naive enough however, to think that you don't desire answers. This is a huge decision to make Alex, one that will likely affect you for the rest of your life. I only ask that you don't make this decision lightly, and whatever decision you do come to, do not let the grief of that decision consume you._

_Whatever it is you decide, know that I am and will always be proud of you. I am truly grateful to have called you my student, no, my daughter, and I truly wish with all my heart that your future is filled with joy and light, because you Alex, brought light to a life that was dull and lifeless before, and I will be eternally grateful to you for that._

_Thank you._

_Daishin._

Alex's hands dropped to her sides, the letter floating lightly to the ground below her. She was shaking slightly, and no matter how hard she tried, she could not contain the tears that were flowing freely now.

"You jerk Daishin!" Alex yelled through her tears into the empty space, not caring if anyone heard. "It's n-not fair. It's NOT FAIR!" She yelled again, this time slamming her fists into the lounge angrily.

She'd promised herself she wouldn't cry, that she'd be strong, and yet here she was after weeks of keeping it together, finally, falling apart.


	8. Chapter 8

Lena strolled up the run down path that led up to the Overwatch safe house's entrance. It was getting close to midnight at this point but the path was well lit by the bright full moon that enveloped the sky.

As Lena reached the broken front door she sighed. She really hoped things had gone well between Zenyatta and Alex. She had deliberately snuck out pretty early this morning in the hopes of avoiding the two, and had managed to occupy herself for the full day and night to give them enough time to discuss whatever they needed. Lena had a pretty good idea of the context of their discussion and she really didn't want to be some awkward outsider listening in on matters like that. That and she barely knew Alex and was fairly certain the girl was trying to keep the tragedy a secret.

So Lena had filled her day with browsing the markets and shopping centres that Kings Row had to offer, and then spending the majority of her night at a bar. She had gotten herself to a pleasant state of tipsiness before leaving, but she opted to walk part of the way back, which had subsided the majority of the buzz she had been feeling.

As she climbed over the half door leading into the hallway, Lena wondered if the other two would be asleep by now. She was just about to turn into the library when a glimpse of white caught the corner of her eye. Curious, she turned towards the lounge room from where the glimpse had been and was surprised to see Alex splayed across the run down lounge, sleeping.

Lena approached the girl quietly to confirm that she actually was sleeping and not just resting her eyes. The girl didn't move as she approached, and she had seemingly quick reflexes, so Lena deducted that she was in fact sleeping, probably deeply. As Lena reached the lounge, she was taken aback when she finally saw the girl's face clearly. Her cheeks and nose were red, and there were wet marks present on her cheeks. The girl must have cried herself to sleep. Lena sighed. She hadn't known the girl very long but from what she had seen the girl definitely didn't like to wear her emotions on her sleeve. She sensed that the girl was putting up a brave front and not properly dealing with her own emotions. Lena smiled. The girl reminded her a lot of herself after the accident. Lena never cried in front of others either. She'd always waited until she was alone.

Lena sighed, looking down at Alex with sympathy and understanding in her eyes. The girl had had her life thrown upside-down and Lena definitely knew what that felt like. Lena wondered how Alex would deal and move forward with her life now that she'd spoken with Zenyatta. From what brief information she'd gotten out of Zenyatta last night, apparently the girl was prone to streaks of anger and hot-headedness. She also seemed to shut herself off from other people too, which Lena had kind of gathered from her exchanges with the girl. Lena just hoped that the grief of losing someone precious to her wouldn't make these bad habits worse for the girl. She wondered if maybe there was anything she could do to help the girl, if she'd even want her help to begin with.

A slight breeze blew through the open house which caused Lena to shiver. It was fairly cool out tonight and Lena didn't think she should just leave Alex up here in the cool air, let alone on this practically broken furniture. She wondered if she should wake the girl up? She then thought about how the girl would react to Lena finding her like this, having cried herself to sleep with obvious signs of said crying still very evident on her face. She really didn't want the girl to lock up and avoid her.

Luckily Lena had another idea. She looked the girl up and down, sizing up the best way to proceed. Alex was quite petite, so Lena figured she wouldn't have too much trouble lifting her up, even if Lena was on the small side herself. Lena was fit though so she was sure she'd be fine. So, not wanting to wake Alex up, but not wanting to leave her here either, Lena bent down and placed her arms under the girl's neck and knees. She was just about to lift the girl when she noticed a piece of paper and open envelope on the floor by her feet. She picked both up, inspecting the envelope to see that it read: 'To Alex'. Deciding the contents of the letter were private, Lena folded it neatly back into the envelope and placed it in Alex's jacket pocket. She then placed her hands back under the petite girl, lifting her up bridal style, resting the girl's head on her shoulder.

Alex was surprisingly lighter than Lena had expected, so she had no trouble making her way down to the safe house and through to Alex's room with the girl snuggly tucked against her form. She gently placed her onto the bottom bunk she'd been sleeping on the past two nights, pulling the blanket up slightly to cover her without making it seem too much like she was tucking her in. She didn't want to make it a big deal to the girl or anything, as she seemed like the type to never ask for help or favours. Once Lena was satisfied that the girl looked comfortable, she scrawled out a small note on a notepad sitting on the bedside table so Alex would know how she got here when she woke up and not freak out.

As Lena turned to leave the room, she noticed the shirt she had leant Alex the night before thrown into a ball in the corner of the room near the door. She raised her eyebrow at the odd placement of the garment, but didn't give it too much thought.

"Maybe she just really hated the shirt?" Lena quietly mused to herself, giggling in a hushed tone as she left the younger girl's room.

…

Alex opened her eyes groggily to the sight of the bottom of the mattress on the bunk above her. She blinked a few times in confusion, still half asleep and not quite sure where she was or how she got here. She sat up slowly, bringing her left hand to her forehead and wincing at the still prevalent headache. As she brought her hand away from her face and she looked around, she realised that she was in the room she'd been staying in since she got to the Overwatch safe house. She blinked again, still confused. She didn't remember coming back down here last night, let alone falling asleep. She reached into her pockets to find her phone, only to realise that it was still on the bedside table where she'd left it yesterday morning. As she reached over to grab it, she also noticed a note scrawled out on the notepad in writing she recognised from the other note Lena had left her about the living room. Alex pulled the top sheet off the notepad to read the note:

_Found you sleeping upstairs last night when I got back so I brought you down so you wouldn't freeze to death._

\- _Lena_

Alex sighed and put the note back onto the bedside table.

"So that's why I don't remember coming back down." She said thoughtfully.

Alex was still half asleep and her head was pounding so she headed towards the bathroom to wash her face in the hopes of waking herself up and hopefully finding some painkillers. As she reached the bathroom she looked into up into the mirror at the sad reflection staring back at her. Her eyes were still a bit red from the night before and Alex suddenly remembered that she'd been crying. She clicked her tongue, frustrated at herself for showing such weakness.

Other memories from yesterday started to flood her mind and she suddenly felt overwhelming dread and sadness take over her body again. She felt like lashing out, punching the first thing her fist made contact with. In this case that would be the mirror, but the rational part of her mind kicked in, telling her that not only would that cut up her hand even more, but this wasn't her house. She was a guest here and the last thing she wanted to do was cause property damage she probably couldn't afford to fix. So she swallowed her rage and took a deep breath, attempting to calm herself down.

She looked back up into the mirror and noticed a tear fall from her right eye. She angrily wiped the offending object away and slapped her cheeks with both hands. She'd been doing that a lot lately. The tear made her right eye itch uncomfortably and Alex realised it'd been a couple of days since she last cleaned her mech eye out. At this point the menial task would be a welcome distraction so Alex set to removing the mechanical sphere from its socket and proceeded with the familiar routine of cleaning both the eye, the socket, and lubricating both before placing the eye back into its socket.

She looked into the mirror again to make sure it was functioning correctly before switching the holographic emitter back on. The sight of herself with a very evident mechanical eye reminded the girl of a villain she'd seen in a really old movie.

'The Exterminator?' She thought to herself, contemplating.

She thought that was the name of the film. The villain was this massive guy who was actually a robot and there was a scene where his eye was damaged so it didn't look human anymore and it was all 'death glowing red' and everything.

"A villain huh?" Alex said to herself, weirdly amused at the sight of herself as some robotic villain set on world destruction.

She stared at the offending piece of robotics a while longer before finally pulling her eyelid down and switching the emitter back on, hiding the mechanical instrument with the signature blue iris of her human eye.

Her headache was still bothering her and after a quick look through the bathroom cabinets Alex managed to find some generic painkillers and hastily swallowed 2 with a mouthful of tap water. She stared at her sorry state in the mirror a while longer, deciding that simply washing her face wouldn't be enough and that showering would probably wake her up more and hide any evidence of her sorrow from the day before.

She completed the task quickly, not feeling like lingering today, and walked back into the bedroom, pulling on her ripped jeans, blue singlet, and signature black leather jacket, before collapsing back onto her bed. She didn't know what she would do today or how she would face Zenyatta and Lena. So much had happened yesterday and she was still processing most of the information Zenyatta had given her. A lot of the details of the transition she kind of expected, but what was throwing her off the most was the letters she'd received from Daishin.

Alex's hand absentmindedly fell to her jacket pocket, searching and finding both letters neatly tucked away. Thinking about them created a sinking feeling in her heart that scared her beyond belief. She was relieved after reading the first letter to find that Daishin had seen her as a daughter, just as she had seen him as a father, but this seemingly happy realisation also deepened her sadness. The biggest cause for her discomfort at the moment though had been what else that first letter had contained. Daishin had been looking into that night. The night Alex seemingly lost everything. The night she lost her parents. Alex clutched at her heart painfully, the urge to cry rising to the surface before Alex scrunched her eyes tightly and breathed deeply until she was sure she'd contained the tears.

Alex still had nightmares about that night, but they had decreased significantly with Daishin's help and comfort over the years. He'd always been her rock, the one thing that kept her from falling into despair. But now he was gone, and now she possibly had knowledge about the true reasoning behind her parent's deaths, just when she thought she might have been able to move on with her life. It felt like they were just being taken away from her all over again. It wasn't fair. Alex's knuckles were turning white from how hard she was clenching her fists at her heart. The world was a stinking pile of shit and it wasn't fair! Alex felt like so much had been taken away from her in such a short life. Surely it was immoral for one person to lose this much? Perhaps she was cursed with misfortune and would never find true happiness.

Alex loosened her grip on her chest when her anger began to subside, only to be replaced with an overwhelming sense of despair. She clutched at her jacket pocket again. She hadn't opened the second letter yet, too afraid of what it would say, more afraid of the person it would turn her into. Daishin had seemed sure that she could make it through whatever decision she made, but Alex didn't have as much faith in herself. She remembered how angry she'd been back then. How angry she'd been at the world, at herself for forgetting who she was. The anger and despair from back then had consumed her and she wasn't sure she could survive that again.

Besides, what would she even do with the information? What if she did find the attractive blue woman with the cold, golden eyes? What would she do? What could she do? Would she want revenge? Could she enact that revenge with her own two hands and walk away unscathed? What did Daishin expect her to do for christ's sake?! He'd taught her how to handle herself in a fight. She was well versed in hand to hand combat and she could sure as hell protect herself. Was that why he taught her? Was he preparing her for this moment? But Daishin had always spouted peace and forgiveness, so Alex couldn't imagine him wanting her to choose a violent path. She was lost.

Years ago Alex would have killed for the opportunity to learn the truth about her parents. She lost a huge part of her life that night and even to this day she wasn't quite sure who she really was. Her memories of before that night were still fragmented and unclear, probably a side effect of whatever drug had been injected into her. The information could have been her chance to regain a fragment of herself. But now? Now after all this time she didn't know. Part of her felt overwhelming guilt at even contemplating not looking at the letter. Alex deserved answers! And surely her parents deserved vengeance? They deserved that. Didn't they?

Alex couldn't shake the anguish welling up in her heart and clenched her chest tightly again.

"What do you want from me old man?!" She yelled almost pleadingly at no one.

She began to shake, her fists clenching so hard that her knuckles were turning white again. Alex recognised this feeling. It was the darkness in her, the rage that consumed her whenever she was confronted with the horrific events of that night and the thing that scared her more than anything. She needed to let it out, she needed to hit something or throw something.

Alex suddenly reached for the pillow on her bed and hauled it across the room towards the door, yelling again:

"What do you WANT?!"

Just as Alex had thrown the pillow, the door to her room suddenly opened and the pillow made impact with Lena's face as she popped her head in through the door, before dropping awkwardly to the floor.

Alex's anger drained and was immediately replaced with embarrassment as she realised too late what she had done. Now that the pillow had fallen she was making direct eye contact with the other woman and she was at a total loss for words, her mouth opening and closing uselessly like a goldfish.

Lena had been taken aback by the sudden confrontation with the pillow, but after seeing Alex's expression when the pillow had dropped, she had automatically figured out that the pillow wasn't actually aimed at her and Alex hadn't been expecting her to walk in. She mustn't have heard Lena knock. Seeing as the other girl appeared to be embarrassed beyond belief, her face a deep shade of red, Lena decided to speak up first.

"So that's a 'no' to breakfast then?" She asked amusedly, giggling in an attempt to lighten the mood.

"Lena?! I u-uh! I'm sorry! I wasn't yelling at you, a-and the pillow, it wasn't-" Alex began to stutter before Lena cut her off.

"It's okay Luv, I figured it was just bad timing on my behalf." Lena said reassuringly.

"Right." Alex sighed out, calming down a little and looking down, still feeling embarrassed at her actions.

This was the first time she'd seen or spoken to Lena since the other day. A lot had happened in the small time since then. Alex had been sent on a rollercoaster of emotions and not to mention she had practically masturbated while thinking of the other woman the day before, something she thought she'd never let herself live down. It was hard to look at the other woman without fear of blushing at this point, not to mention what other emotions might show on her face.

Lena noticed the other girl shutting down after her awkward little outburst. She could see the rapid flashing of emotions through in the other girl's eyes, even if they refused to make contact with her own. Lena smiled warmly. The girl tried so hard to hide her emotions, but she had very expressive eyes, Lena was releasing now the more she spent time with the other girl. She saw a lot of emotions flash through those uncertain eyes in that moment. Embarrassment, shame, remorse, awkwardness. The emotion that outshone the rest though was simply sadness. The girl looked lost, and Lena couldn't help but be reminded of herself after the slipstream accident. She was lost for so long, slipping through time as if she didn't exist. While it had been more literal in a sense for Lena, it was clear that the girl in front of her was feeling a similar sense of despair she had felt back then. She wanted to help the other girl.

"Hey Alex. You know, if you need to talk or anything, I'm happy to listen." Lena tried.

She really hoped Alex would open up to her, but she barely knew the girl, so she wasn't expecting her to. She was grasping at straws. For a second it seemed like the other girl was considering her offer. It looked like she was about to ask a question when that wall fell down around her emotions again. Lena sighed. The girl was stubborn.

"I'm fine, but thanks anyway." Alex managed to say, smiling as brightly as she could at the other woman in an attempt to hide her sadness. She could tell it hadn't worked by the way Lena looked at her, the smile even felt fake to her. She hated pity. She hated it so much. It made her feel weak and she had to be strong.

"You know about Daishin, huh?" Alex asked, sounding more accusatory than she intended.

Lena quickly raised her hands in a defensive manner, feeling awkward all of a sudden.

"Sorry Luv! I really did stop reading when you said, I just. Saw too much too soon. Sorry." Lena said apologetically, scratching the back of her head and smiling awkwardly, not sure what else to do.

Alex suddenly felt bad for seemingly accusing the other woman when clearly all she wanted to do was help. Alex really did like Lena and she didn't want the other woman to hate her, so she raised her hands to in an apologetic manner too before replying:

"Oh no! I'm sorry! I- I didn't mean it like that. It's my fault, I should have stopped you sooner, or just told you why I was here. It was stupid. Sorry."

Alex looked away again, this time feeling both embarrassed and ashamed. Lena relaxed a little at the other girl's apology, smiling at her willingness to open up, even just a bit.

"It's wasn't stupid. You didn't know me. It's only natural to keep stuff like that to yourself around strangers." Lena replied. She paused a bit before adding.

"But y'know Luv. We're not strangers anymore, and if there was anything you wanted to talk about, I'm here to listen. No obligations, no strings attached. I'm just here if you did want someone to talk to."

Alex knew that Lena was being genuine, she could hear it in her voice and see it in her face. In fact everything about Lena seemed genuine. She just seemed like that kind of person. Unconditionally caring. The thought that Alex had possibly made a new friend like this did spark the tiniest bit of hope in the depths of her anguish. The sentiment was nice, and Alex really felt like maybe someday she could open up to Lena. Tell her more about Daishin and how much he meant to her and how he had saved her and how she'd been so sad and angry for so long. Maybe one day she could even tell her about her parents. One day. But for now she just wasn't ready for that. She didn't want the other woman to feel disheartened though, so she tried to word her response in the most vague way possible so as to not give away too much detail. Alex looked back up at Lena.

"I just. I have all these really important decisions to make now and I'm…sc-scared of choosing the wrong path."

Alex felt very vulnerable opening herself up like this to the other woman and shifted uncomfortably where she sat on the bed. Lena noticed how hard this was for the girl, and even though she hadn't given Lena much, she was thankful that the girl trusted her enough to share even part of her troubles. Lena smiled warmly at the young girl before replying in a light, gentle tone.

"We're bound to choose the wrong path in life sometimes. I think that so long as you choose what you think is most important or right, you'll have the least amount of regrets with the outcome. Sometimes that's the best we can do, and that's okay." Lena said thoughtfully.

She hoped she didn't sound lame or clichéd, but it seemed the decisions Alex was dreading were ones that she had to make on her own. Lena didn't want to impose anything onto the girl.

Alex considered Lena's response. It didn't really help her too much, it only confirmed that she still had a choice to make. She guessed she was hoping Lena would just have the answer for her, but she hadn't really given the woman much to go on. She sighed. She still had a lot to think about. Fortunately even just talking with Lena for a short time had lifted her spirits somewhat. The bubbly woman had a very positive effect on her. For the first time that day, Alex genuinely smiled, even if just slightly.

"Thanks Lena." She said, genuinely thankful to the other woman.

Lena smiled in response. The girl was a long way from being okay, but Lena felt like she was in better spirits than when she first walked in. Baby steps.

"So, did you wanna have bacon and eggs with me for breakfast?" Lena asked in a bubbly manner, smiling widely at the other girl.

Alex couldn't help but giggle at the overwhelming positivity that Lena seemed to emit.

"Sounds good." Alex replied smiling.

Alex grabbed for her phone before getting up when she saw the note again that Lena had left her.

"Oh. Thanks for last night too. How did you get me down here anyway?" Alex asked Lena awkwardly.

Lena smirked devilishly at the girl, before giggling and responding:

"That's okay. And I carried you down here, bridal style and all! I gotta say Alex, you look really cute when you're sleeping."

Lena winked at Alex before happily skipping out of the room to go and prepare their breakfast.

Alex was left alone in the room, her heart pounding rapidly in her chest and her face the deepest shade of red it had ever been.


	9. Chapter 9

It had been about a week since Alex had spoken with Zenyatta and been confronted with a plethora of decisions to make. Not only did she have decisions to make about her future, but with the introduction of Daishin's final letters to her, there was now the decision regarding whether or not she wanted to look into her parents deaths as well. Needless to say, Alex hadn't made much ground on either. The one thing she had decided over the past few days was that she would accept Zenyatta's proposal to become her legal guardian.

She'd gotten to know the omnic a little better now, and like Lena he seemed genuinely and unconditionally caring, albeit a little old fashioned and stiff. Alex couldn't help but see aspects of Daishin in the omnic as well, adding to her liking of him. Besides all of that, her 17th birthday was next month so he'd only really be her guardian for a year until she was independent anyway. It was a much better outcome than going back into the system.

As for any decisions regarding her future, Alex hadn't really gotten that far. Zenyatta had been pleased when she told him that she wanted him to become her guardian. Both he and Lena seemed pleased that she was taking her time and not making these decisions lightly. For now they seemed happy with that and weren't pressuring Alex to move any faster, which she was thankful for.

Otherwise the time Alex had spent in Kings Row had been rather peaceful. Lena and Zenyatta apparently had business to attend to in Kings Row most days, which left Alex to do as she pleased at her own pace. While Alex was really coming to enjoy the company of the two, she had always enjoyed spending time alone as well so this suited her fine.

Most days she spent exploring the safe house, which was much larger than she initially thought, spanning over multiple levels. She also explored the surrounding suburbs and went for daily jogs to stay active. When Daishin had been around they had trained almost every day and Alex didn't want to have all of his hard work training her go to waste by suddenly becoming a lazy slob. Besides, she rather enjoyed jogging. It cleared her head and sometimes would calm her down if she was feeling too angry or sad.

Most nights she found herself gazing at the stars from the run down couch in the living room upstairs. She reread Daishin's first letter a lot while up there too. For some reason she felt the most comfortable there, like it was her own little private spot where she didn't have to keep up her bravado. Much to her chagrin, she found herself in tears some nights, but made sure to wipe them away before greeting Zenyatta or Lena. They didn't need to see her like that. She didn't want anyone to ever see her like that.

Alex had made sure to not fall asleep in the upstairs room again after the last incident. The thought of Lena carrying her to her bed bridal style still made the girl blush, not to mention what Lena had said about her being 'cute' when she slept. Lena still stirred a bunch of unfamiliar emotions inside Alex which always lead to her blushing or feeling embarrassed. She'd even had more…erotic thoughts about the woman since the shower incident, but had made sure to squash them down before anything mortifying happened again. Weird, erotic emotions and the fact that Lena was super nice to her aside, the woman had a partner, so Alex didn't know what the hell her body was trying to do with her, making her feel all confused all the time. The timing for these newfound emotions wasn't particularly great either, with everything else Alex had on her plate.

Alex sighed as she lay back on her bottom bunk.

"You're a mess Alex." She said to herself, almost as if patronising herself.

She picked her phone up from the bedside table to check the time. 2pm. Lena and Zenyatta had headed into the city earlier today and hadn't gotten home yet. Alex had already gone for a jog and showered today, and now that she'd explored the safe house mostly, she was kind of bored now. Lena had offered to take her into the city, but Alex hated crowds so she kept putting it off.

'Maybe I'll watch a film.' Alex thought to herself, sitting up before hearing a knock at her closed bedroom door.

"It's Lena, you up?" Came a bubbly voice from the hallway.

"I don't sleep in _that_ much you know?" Alex replied pouting jokingly.

Lena opened the door and stepped in, smiling widely.

"I don't know what you crazy kids do these days." She replied teasingly.

The word 'kid' made Alex inwardly frown. Did Lena think of her as a kid? There wasn't _that_ much of an age difference between them, only about 10 years. Okay, so maybe that was a gap but still, it kind of stung a little. Alex wondered if she only felt the sting because of the other emotions she felt around Lena? For now she didn't want to dwell on these thoughts as Lena clearly was eager to tell her something by the way she was bouncing happily and clutching a paper bag in her hands, so Alex pushed the thoughts aside. Filed into 'future Alex's problems'.

Lena threw the paper bag at Alex all of a sudden, making the girl flinch but catch the offending item nonetheless, pleasantly surprised that it wasn't heavy or hard.

"What's this?" Alex asked the other woman curiously.

"I got you some gym clothes to wear. I know you've been jogging and stuff in your jeans and I kinda figured out by now that you only really brought one change of clothes, so I figured you could wear these while you run to save you washing your regular clothes every day. As much as I'm sure you love wearing my hand-me-downs." Lena replied chirpily.

The last sentence made Alex blush slightly, and she coughed to hide it from the other woman. She'd been sleeping in the other woman's shirts most nights, which had led to several…confusing dreams involving the other woman.

Alex pulled out the clothes to distract herself and Lena from that fact that she was blushing. There was a pair of black tights, ¾ length, and a blue singlet similar in colour to her own, but this one was made from that fancy material that seemed specific to exercise gear. In the bottom of the bag there was also a black sports bra. Alex pulled the garment out, blushing again when she realised what it was.

Lena noticed her reaction and suddenly felt a little awkward herself.

"Ah. Yeah. I'm not sure if the size is exactly right, I just guessed from what I thought by looking at you. I mean not that I was _looking,_ but yeah. I hope it fits." Lena exclaimed awkwardly, laughing nervously to try and lighten the mood.

Alex looked at the label for the bra and blushed a little deeper. It was the right size. Fuck. Why did the thought of Lena knowing her bra size make her feel all warm and weird inside.

'Damn it Alex get your shit together!' Alex thought to herself.

Alex was quite petite, a feature that most certainly extended to her chest size, so maybe it was easy for the other woman to guess her bra size when it was definitely on the lower end. Yeah. That had to be the case. It was easy because she was so flat chested. Somehow that thought didn't bring Alex much comfort though.

Coming back to her senses, Alex realised she hadn't said anything since opening the bag.

"Thanks for these." She finally said, looking up at Lena. "How much do I owe you?"

Lena raised her hands and giggled. "Don't worry about it Luv, consider them a gift."

"But-" Alex began to protest, but was quickly cut off by Lena.

"No buts Luv. I got them for you as a gift and I'm not telling you how much they were so you might as well drop it and just accept them." Lena finished teasingly, winking at the younger girl.

Alex looked down at her new clothes. She actually really liked them and they seemed to be good quality. She felt bad about the other woman spending money on her, and they looked expensive too, but Lena wasn't moving an inch so she decided to accept them gratefully.

"Thank you." Alex replied genuinely, smiling at the other woman.

Lena beamed at the girl's surrender and laughed happily.

"You're welcome!" She replied happily, before pausing and adding: "There's actually another reason I bought them for you."

Alex looked up at the woman curiously, waiting for her to continue.

Lena continued: "I was wondering if you wanted to spar? I could tell the first night we met that you have some kind of combat training. I just thought it'd be fun for the two of us to test each other's skills, and it beats sitting around doing nothing y'know?"

Alex was genuinely taken aback by Lena's proposal. She wasn't naïve enough to think Lena hadn't picked up on her combat skills the first night they met. Alex had thought they were going to fight that night so she made every attempt to show her potential rival that she was not inexperienced when it came to fighting. It was true that Alex was quite well versed in hand to hand combat, it was her specialty she guessed. Daishin had trained her from a young age and she'd always been eager to learn more, never wanting to feel the weakness she'd felt the night her parents had been killed. He'd trained her in both Western and Eastern techniques, and through studying both she had found her strengths and weaknesses and built upon them.

Alex had never really trained with anyone besides Daishin though. Sure she'd been in fights before. She'd had her ass handed to her on multiple occasions and had dealt out equally as brutal ass kicking's herself. Those had all been spare of the moment though, not planned training. She hadn't really expected Lena to want to spar with her. Alex had to admit though she was intrigued by the idea. The woman was a part of the internationally acclaimed Overwatch organisation and no doubt had military grade training. Alex was always up for learning new techniques so for this reason she found herself attracted to the idea more and more.

She looked back up at Lena who had an expectant look of her face.

"Okay." She answered simply.

Lena had been expecting more resistance from the girl, and was slightly thrown off by her simple, easy agreement. She was excited nonetheless and smiled happily. Zenyatta had told her that Daishin had trained Alex in hand to hand combat to help her deal with her anger issues. Apparently it helped her blow off a lot of steam and control herself more. Lena hadn't been around much the past few days and she wasn't sure how the girl would have been dealing on her own, so she thought doing something active that she was familiar with would be good for the girl. She was glad Alex seemed into the idea as well.

…

Lena had given Alex time to change into her new gym clothes, which all seemed to fit Alex perfectly, before leading her down to safe house's gym, 2 levels below the level they slept on. Alex had stumbled upon the room in her exploration of the safe house but had never really been interested in gyms before so she didn't bother exploring the room itself too much. Now that Lena had brought her in here she realised just how big the room was. There was an area containing several work-out machines in the back left corner, placed next to a separate area that seemed to be filled with weights to the right. There was a boxing ring closer to the entrance on the left, but the rest was mostly empty space.

Lena led Alex to around the mid-section of the room, on the right wall, which was a padded section that the Overwatch agents used for combat training and sparring when they came to stay at the Kings Row safe house for periods of time. Alex recognised the space as a training area even though most of the training she'd done with Daishin had been outside. His house wasn't really big enough to accommodate an indoor training area so they made do with his back yard. Alex didn't mind, in fact she kind of preferred training outside, even if Daishin made her practise in pouring rain sometimes, but she was happy to train inside as well. She was more than a little excited to spar with Lena, albeit a little nervous too. While Daishin had taught her many different forms and techniques, Alex had still never formally trained with anyone else, so this was definitely a new experience. Alex wasn't sure if this really counted as 'formal training' but it definitely wasn't just a random brawl, so she figured 'training' was probably a better word for it.

Lena pointed out the various work stations around the room and grabbed both women a bottle of water from a fridge in the corner of the room. Lena had already been wearing similar training gear to what Alex was wearing, obviously prepared when she had proposed the idea to Alex in the first place.

Lena handed a bottle to Alex as she came back, which Alex gratefully accepted and placed off to the side against a wall. She'd have some once they started. Lena placed her bottle down, stretching out her limbs a little before looking back up at Alex, observing the girl thoughtfully.

Alex stared back at the woman curiously. There was a moment of silence before Lena finally spoke up.

"You'd heard of 'Tracer' before you met me yeah? Do you know what I can do Luv?" Lena asked kindly.

Alex stared at the bright glowing object that was ever presently attached to the other woman's chest. She'd seen articles and stuff written about the Overwatch agent 'Tracer' back in Bradford. Tracer was one of their leading agents so her abilities were widely known among the general population. Alex didn't know the exact details, but she had a vague understanding of the woman's ability.

"You can like, teleport to different places I think." Alex replied vaguely.

Lena smiled. "That's kind of the gist of it yeah. I can also recall a short period of time too, but my chronal accelerator has to charge up for that to happen."

Alex nodded, intrigued by the peculiar ability. She hadn't known about the recall ability.

Lena could tell the girl was slightly bewildered as she continued:

"This ability gives me an edge in battle. It means I can surprise my enemies by showing up in unpredicted locations and blinking away if I get too close, which you saw the first night we met." Lena continued, giggling teasingly at the last part.

Alex felt slightly guilty about that still, and awkwardly laughed back, apologising again for hurling a shard of glass at the other woman. Lena was always so positive though and had already assured Alex that it was okay and a natural response to sensing a threat. Lena never seemed to be phased by much, and she had a relaxing and positive affect on Alex. For now though, Alex sensed that Lena was tiptoeing around what Alex knew she was trying to ask, so without waiting for Lena to directly ask it, Alex simply answered instead.

"Use it."

Lena raised her eyebrow at the younger girl, slightly confused at her short, vague statement, a trait she had noticed was quite common with the girl.

Alex, noticing Lena's confusion, elaborated:

"Your ability. I want you to use it when we fight." She finished confidently.

Alex figured she was already probably at a disadvantage to the other woman merely on experience alone. With an ability like the one Lena had, it would only further the gap, but nonetheless Alex was quite confident in her own ability. That and she was competitive as hell. Daishin had taught her the hard way that going easy on your opponent benefits neither the teacher nor the student. Alex was sure that the other woman would likely kick her ass, but she was sure to learn more this way, and Alex thrived in situations where the stakes were higher. The thought was exhilarating.

Obviously this didn't mean Alex wasn't nervous. She was only human and any human would be slightly nervous at the thought of their impending ass kicking. Alex had seen a fraction of Lena's ability first hand and it was a little intimidating. Alex's biggest strengths were her speed and endurance. Because of her small frame Daishin had taught her techniques that focused on using her agility to deflect and tire out her opponents, meaning her strikes would be more affective. She'd always been fast, but in the beginning her endurance had been an issue, and she ended up on her ass mostly. As she got older and more experienced though, she found that she could outlast Daishin in terms of endurance and managed to beat him a few times. Obviously the omnic had years and years of experience over her, so her victories were generally short lived.

Unfortunately for Alex now, she was quite sure that Lena surpassed her in both speed and endurance, this would be difficult to say the least. Still, Alex had a crazy competitive streak and was excited at the challenge before her. She took a few steps away from the older woman and readied herself, positioning her body into a battle stance, indicating to Lena that she was ready.

Lena could see the determination in the young girls eyes and smiled happily. She hadn't been sure about using her blinks and recall, but Alex seemed determined to fight her at full strength so Lena decided to oblige. She could tell the young woman was quite skilled herself so she figured it'd be okay.

Truth be told Lena fared better in mid-range combat, often involving the use of her pistols. Her blinking ability definitely gave her an edge in battle and she was often able to settle things without the need for close quarters combat. While she was trained, she didn't often have to engage in hand to hand combat, well, not so much recently. Lena remembered a time where she would often get into hand to hand combat scuffles with a certain sniper she'd considered her rival. A lot had changed since then.

Focusing again on her current opponent, Lena mirrored Alex in taking a few steps back and positioning herself in a similar stance. The determination in both women's eyes indicated to the other that they were ready to begin.

Adrenaline was coursing through Alex's body at their silent stand-off. Daishin had always told her to be patient and never to make the first move in a stand-off like this. It seemed to last forever and Alex was trying to calculate what the other woman was thinking. Lena was probably waiting for Alex to make a move first, banking on her less experienced self to become impatient first. Alex knew Lena probably wouldn't make the first move then and was considering how to proceed when Lena suddenly relaxed her body slightly and laughed, catching Alex off guard before charging directly towards the girl. Alex regained her composure somewhat from the sudden outburst and brought her arms up to block the oncoming assault when suddenly Lena was gone from sight. Alex's eyes widened before she heard that signature whizzing sound behind her and realised her mistake to late. Lena had blinked behind her, kicking out Alex's feet from beneath her causing Alex to fall forward.

Her instincts setting back in after she'd been so thrown off by Lena's casual behaviour, Alex managed to catch herself before falling completely, swivelling her right leg around to make contact with the base of Lena's legs, sending the older woman stumbling back slightly. Alex used this time to essentially backwards roll and flip back into a standing position, putting some distance between the two women again. Lena had regained her balance and was positioned again in her battle stance, smirking at the girl teasingly.

'Well, you did essentially tell her not to go easy on you.' Alex thought to herself, finding herself smiling back just as mischievously, weirdly excited for someone who was about to get their ass kicked.


	10. Chapter 10

It was a nice day out so Alex had finally decided to venture into the city today despite her distaste for crowded areas. Lena had been training with her for the past few days which Alex had really enjoyed. She felt like she was getting a part of her old self back during the training. It was something she had, for the most part, enjoyed doing with Daishin and getting the chance to do something like that again now felt good. Lena's bubbly personality was also infectious and for the most part Alex had been surprisingly happy these past few days. While she still had that sinking feeling in her stomach when she thought of everything that had happened and everything she had yet to decide, she was on a winning streak at the moment and she thought now was as good a time as any to test out these good vibes and finally head in to explore Kings Row.

Lena had offered to show her around the city, being a local, but Alex had been kind of interested in checking out the Sunday markets to see what kind tech and parts were being sold for Omnics and people with mechanical body parts. Seeing as that was a part of herself she liked to keep secret, she figured she'd sneak in by herself today while Lena and Zenyatta were away.

Alex had caught the bus into the city, deciding it would be cheaper than calling a taxi like the night she'd arrived, and managed to locate the markets without too much trouble. Her bus had taken her only a few blocks away so it wasn't too difficult to navigate.

The markets were located in a big and square centre of part of the city, surrounded by taller buildings containing cafes and retail outlets. Alex supposed that when the market stalls were not set up here, the large area would look more like a park, with its grass covered ground and various water features and benches scattered throughout.

Alex wasn't surprised at the amount of people, both human and omnic alike, that were scurrying around the markets, looking for the best deal. She had figured it would be busy before she came, but she really did want to look around so she decided she'd persevere. The crowd kind of acted like a disguise Alex figured as well. She liked to keep her mechanical eye a secret to the public and she hated being singled out regarding the matter, but she figured with so many people at the event, no one would pay her any particular notice unless she was buying something, and even then they'd soon forget her face once the transaction was complete.

Alex had entered the square area at the corner, so she figured strategically she'd just zig-zag her way up and down the aisles until she reached the other corner or until she got bored. She had to keep an eye on the clock too. She wanted to make sure she got back to the safe house before the other two to avoid having to tell them she'd come in to the city and then by extension why. Alex was no stranger to lying but she liked Zenyatta and Lena and she didn't want to have to tell them any unnecessary lies.

'You don't have to lie if the question isn't asked.' Alex figured.

Alex walked past several stores selling varying items from food, to clothing, to technology, and even some selling weapons. Curiosity lead Alex to one of the weapons stalls. While she'd never had a particular interest in firearms, which Daishin had felt very strongly against, she couldn't deny that she was intrigued by hand-held weapons such as swords and daggers. Unfortunately for her, this particular stall specialised in firearms so they didn't really have anything that interested her, not that she'd be able to get anything anyway without a firearms licence.

A middle aged man with a thick moustache was inspecting a vintage looking hand held gun while talking to the older vendor, and noticed Alex casually looking at the stall. He surveyed her carefully and licked his moustached lip. Alex was just about to move on, not even having noticed the man at all, when he spoke up.

"Weapons like these should never be in the hands of a delicate young lady like yourself." The man said smoothly.

Alex looked up; at first not realising that he was speaking to her. She glanced around her briefly not noticing anyone else close enough to them, and when the man winked at her directly, she realised he had indeed been addressing her.

Alex scoffed inwardly and put on her fakest smile before replying sweetly:

"Well it's a good thing I find weapons like this repulsive then, just like their owners."

The man gaped at Alex, taken aback by her blunt response. Alex smiled wider at the stupid gaping man and took that as her cue to leave. When he regained his senses and stoped gaping like an idiot he'd probably be pretty mad, and while Alex was certain she could take the moustached fool in a fight, she really didn't want to draw attention to herself here so she high-tailed it out of there and through the crowd before the man could collect himself.

Alex sighed as she pushed her way through the bustling crowd. That seedy old jackass had dampened her mood, so much for her winning streak. Daishin had always tried to enforce manners and politeness into Alex, the whole 'respect your elders' spiel. Alex had learned pretty early on in life though that there were some pretty rotten people out there, and not everyone deserved her respect or time. Come to think of it, Alex always did seem to have trouble with adults and authoritative figures. She could be pretty standoffish herself, but that guy had been a creep, and definitely not deserved her time or patience.

Alex walked up and down a few more rows of stalls before finally finding the area she'd been looking for. There were a lot more omnics and people with prosthetics in this area, which indicated to Alex she'd found the right place. There were at least 15 stalls selling various parts and accessories. Alex practically forgotten about her bad mood and instead gushed over all the cool stalls in front of her. Even though Alex wasn't really intending on buying much or anything at all today, she really did like window shopping for this kind of stuff and maybe even seeing test demos of certain gear. Besides, anything she did see could always be used as inspiration in the future when she was doing her own tinkering.

Alex started browsing the various stores, finding they mostly catered to limbs. Alex figured they were probably the most popular and in the highest demand. Around her she could see people testing out new arms and legs, some natural looking to match people's skin tones and some going for the obvious robotic look. Alex wondered what she would do if it were something bigger like an arm or leg that she had lost. If the world was a more forgiving place Alex liked to think that she wouldn't be bothered by the more obvious metal robotic look. Some people like to paint over them with really cool and intricate designs that Alex found really pretty. Sadly though Alex knew exactly how unforgiving the world could be. If you were different from the norm you were an outcast. Some places were better, but you never really knew. If the world had been a more forgiving place, Alex figured she wouldn't have needed her mechanical eye in the first place.

After browsing the stalls in the area for a couple of hours and watching some entertaining demonstrations, Alex decided she'd had enough of the crowd for one day, and figured she'd start heading back to the safe house to be sure to beat Lena and Zenyatta home.

Alex had thankfully not spent much money. She didn't really need anything new after getting some new parts only recently, but found a stall selling packages of spare parts for various situations, depending on what you needed. Because it was approaching the end of the day she was able to get a nice little bundle for quite cheap. She sometimes tinkered with her eye herself after Daishin had taught her how he made it, so she figured at least now she had some spare parts when she decided to upgrade next.

Alex placed her spoils for the day into her smaller sling bag that she'd also brought with her to Kings Row, and began her walk back to the bus stop. It was early evening now and the sky was beginning to turn that soft shade of orange that it does when the sun is approaching the horizon. Alex smiled as she walked. This was her favourite time of the day, and even the city with its tall, monotone buildings managed to look pretty in this soft lighting.

Alex was about a block away from her bus stop when she passed a small alley leading off the main street she was currently on. As she walked past she noticed a group of people about half way down the alleyway in the corner of her eye, but didn't pay them much attention until she heard a pained cry, followed by several obnoxious laughs. Alex paused as she reached the other side, out of sight of the alley itself. She didn't like the way those laughs sounded, threatening, not to mention the fact that someone had obviously cried out. She looked around the street. There were a few people walking around and past her, most were in a hurry and none were paying attention to the group in the alley. Maybe Alex had misheard and it was just a group of friends mucking around? She took a few steps back to actually look down at the group, just to be sure.

Upon first inspection it just looked like a group of friends, but Alex noticed they were crowding around something. The way they were laughing still felt off to Alex, and despite part of her screaming at her to just mind her own business, she found herself walking towards the small group.

There were three men and one woman, all around their early twenties Alex thought from looks alone. The woman had bright pink hair and one of the men had bright green, both so strikingly fake that you couldn't help but notice those features first. There was a smaller man with a mohawk, and a burlier guy whose back was turned to Alex, making it hard to distinguish much about him. None of them had noticed Alex approaching yet and she was still a good 10 metres away from them when she suddenly stopped in her tracks, finally noticing what they were crowding around. A small omnic, about Alex's size, was lying on the ground, whimpering and crying out as the small guy with the mohawk kicked them in the stomach. The man's friends laughed louder as the omnic cried out, egging him on.

"Stupid piece of scrap metal!" The mohawk man called out.

"Yeah, why don't you crawl back to the scrap yard you were made from!" The woman with the pink hair added after.

Alex was frozen in place. The group still hadn't noticed her but Alex suddenly felt panic rise up inside her at the all too familiar scene playing out in front of her.

* * *

_Alex had finished school for the day finally and was on her way to her mentor's house for the afternoon before heading back to the orphanage. She hated the orphanage. The caretakers were awful and always yelled at her, sometimes even striking her. They'd no doubt be angry that she hadn't gone straight back there from school, but Alex decided whatever punishment they inflicted on her was worth it for not having to spend as much time there. Besides, she'd grown to really enjoy Daishin's company and she always looked forward to seeing him in the afternoons._

_Alex had been helping him out in his store for a couple of years now and since then he'd also been teaching her how to fight. Alex was hot headed and impatient, which meant she lost a lot of their fights, but she enjoyed learning it nonetheless. It made her feel strong and helped her to control her anger, as Daishin had so inelegantly put it._

_She was about a block away from his house when she walked past an alley way and heard a bunch of kids down the end, yelling and laughing loudly. Alex didn't think much of the small group at first until she heard a small yelp followed by a cry for help. Alex looked down into the alley and noticed three kids, two about her age and a third that was maybe a few years older, crowded around and kicking a young omnic. The omnic was crying out for help, which only fuelled the cruel bullies and made them kick harder._

_"Stupid robot!" Yelled the burlier of the younger two._

_"We don't want your kind here!" Added the older of the three, who was clearly the leader of the group._

_Alex had seen discrimination aimed at omnics before. Sometimes people would pass Daishin and make snide remarks or simply look at him weirdly when they walked on the street, but Alex had never been confronted with this level of violence towards omnics before. She had however, dealt with bullies before, and this was no different. Being the hot-headed child that she was, Alex barged in head on to confront these three jackasses._

_"Hey! What do you think you're doing?!" She yelled out angrily, approaching the group hastily in an attempt to seem intimidating seeing as size wasn't really on her side._

_The three bullies paused in their harassment of the young omnic and looked up to the angry girl approaching them, amused looks on their faces when they saw how small she was and that she was alone. Alex ignored their vulgar faces and made eye contact with the scared omnic child. They looked slightly hopeful that someone had come to their aid, but also scared for Alex, no doubt thinking that Alex stood no chance at fending off the three larger bullies._

_The oldest of the three stepped away from the others and addressed Alex directly, who was now only a few steps away._

_"Why don't you run along little girl. This is none of your business." He said in a patronising manner that angered Alex even further._

_Alex's nostrils flared and she clenched her fists tightly at her sides to prevent herself from straight out decking the teenager in front of her._

_Letting her anger fuel her, Alex retorted in a snarky tone: "I asked you a question, jackass!"_

_The teen frowned angrily at this, and his two lackeys seemed to be interested in the scene and stepped up on each side of him to back him up. The teen took a step closer to Alex, probably in an attempt to intimidate the smaller girl, but Alex stood her ground and puffed out her chest in an attempt to make herself look bigger._

_"What did you call me, little girl?" He asked irritated._

_Alex smirked wickedly at the teen, before replying cockily: "What? Are you deaf as well as stupid?"_

_Oh how Daishin would have been proud of her for thinking before she spoke. Well, it seemed too late for that now. That was enough for the teen to suddenly lunge for Alex in an attempt to knock her back, but Alex was quick. All of her training with Daishin so far had improved her coordination quite a bit and she managed to jump out of the way, causing the teen to stumble forward with the momentum of his lunge and fall onto his face._

_Alex laughed out loud at the scene before her, angering the older teen more._

_"Don't just stand there! Get her!" He yelled to the two younger bullies._

_This seemed to spark them into motion and they both turned to Alex and made very uncoordinated attempts to rush her. She managed to dodge the first one, causing him to fall over like their leader. The second boy almost grabbed her as she turned back around, but she managed to duck in time and kick out at his ankles, causing him to topple over onto his smaller friend, both crying out in pain. Alex was fuelled by adrenaline at this point and was laughing hysterically at the comedy sketch happening in front of her. The two younger boys made more half-hearted attempts to attack her but she was quick and managed to dodge them all. In a moment of arrogance however, Alex was too caught up laughing at the two younger idiots that she missed the fact that their leader had gotten up and approached her from behind. He kicked at the back of her knees, sending her falling forward._

_She attempted to collect herself, but the burlier of the two younger boys grabbed her from behind and pulled her to her feet, the leader approaching her and smirking from her front while the second lackey helped to restrain her from behind. Because of Alex's small frame she usually relied on her speed to dodge incoming attacks, but now that her assailants had caught her she was having a hard time shaking their grip._

_This time it was the teen leader who laughed out loud._

_"Not so cocky now, are we princess?" He said snidely as he approached her, bending his head down to her eye level way too close for Alex's comfort._

_She spat in his face defiantly, causing him to flinch backwards and his smile to drop. He wiped at his face disgustedly causing Alex to smirk. Seeing her acting so arrogantly still must have been the line, because the older teen suddenly punched Alex hard across the face, sending her to the floor and causing her head to spin slightly at the impact. The two lackeys let her drop unceremoniously and when she hit the ground the older teen kicked her in the stomach, making her cough and lose her breath. The teen took a few steps back, wiping at his face again and admiring his handy work._

_Alex's head was still reeling from the punch to her face and she felt drained of air, but adrenaline was still coursing through her body, and if anything the blows made her angrier than before. Now it was personal. Mustering whatever strength she had left, Alex swivelled her body and managed to kick out the feet from underneath the burly boy, sending him falling backwards onto his ass. She jumped up and punched the smaller boy in the face, sending him falling back as well. The teen made a move for her again, more irritated than before, but she managed to dodge him now that she wasn't being held down. She jumped to the left and kicked him in his right knee, causing him to cry out audibly. As he cradled his wounded leg, Alex sprang while she had the upper hand and punched him in the face as hard as she could, sending him stumbling backwards, almost falling over._

_"YOU LITTLE BITCH!" He yelled angrily as he covered his left eye in pain._

_Alex prepared herself for his next attack when he suddenly reached into his jeans pocket and whipped out a switchblade. This shocked Alex out of her previous arrogance. She'd been in fist fights before but she'd never been confronted by someone with a weapon. Considering the look on this guy's face Alex could tell he was serious about using it. Alex's heart rate began to rise, this time in fear, when suddenly his lackeys grabbed hold of her from behind again, pinning her in place._

_"How about we teach this little bitch a lesson boys?" The teen said as he approached her, swinging the knife in his hand._

_The younger boys cheered him on, laughing along with him as he approached. Alex couldn't move, held in place not only by the two boys, but also in fear, the full extent of her current predicament finally sinking in. The teen dragged the knife slowly down the right side of her face, not hard enough to pierce the skin, but enough to instil the desired fear in the girl. He smiled wickedly as Alex gulped audibly, frozen in place and eyes wide in fear._

_"What do you say boys? Seeing as the little bitch loves robot freaks so much why don't we help make her one of them yeah?" He taunted._

_Alex wasn't really sure what he was saying, her mind phasing in and out, not quite hearing clearly at the moment as the three bullies laughed menacingly around her._

_The young omnic who they'd had cornered suddenly spoke up, their high pitched voice begging for them to leave the girl alone._

_The teen angrily kicked the omnic hard again in the stomach._

_"Shut up freak!" He yelled menacingly._

_The young omnic cried out, the scared sound suddenly breaking Alex out of her trance as she remembered why she was here in the first place. She was meant to be helping, not making it worse for the young omnic._

_"Hey! Leave them alone jackass!" She yelled angrily, spitting in the teens face again and thrashing violently against her captors._

_Alex managed to free her right arm and punch the smaller boy in the face, knocking him away. She turned back to face the burlier boy to deal with him as well, when suddenly the older teen grabbed her roughly by the shoulder. The next few moments happened in a blur and Alex was suddenly confronted with a searing pain coming from her right eye followed by the loss of her vision. Time seemed to slow down and as well as the loss of vision in her right eye, Alex had a hard time making out any sounds happening around her. She wasn't quite sure what had happened. The bullies had let her drop to the ground and she lay there as they seemed to be yelling at each other frantically around her. The high pitched ringing in her ears and throbbing pain in her eye made it hard to make out clearly what they were saying though._

_"FUCK! Oh fuck!" She thought she heard the teen yell._

_"We have to get out of here Trent!" Yelled another muffled voice, followed by a third:_

_"I didn't think you were gonna stab her!"_

_Alex thought she heard footsteps fading into the distance as she blinked slowly, trying to contain the overwhelming pain radiating from her right eye. Her face felt wet, which confused her. She brought her hand up to her right eye, feeling wetness pool into her hand. She pulled her hand away slowly only to find it covered in a thick deep red substance. Alex was confused and her head was spinning, and thought she could hear someone crying and gagging painfully, maybe the omnic child from before? Her ears were still ringing, but as her shoulders were grabbed and she looked up into the scared eyes of the young omnic in front of her, Alex realised the horrible sounds were coming from her. Suddenly she understood what the red liquid meant, and despite the omnic's best efforts to keep her awake, Alex inevitably drifted into darkness._

* * *

The sudden memory stirred by the familiar situation gave rise to an uncomfortable fear within Alex, and she instinctively brought her hand up to cover her right eye. She winced slightly in pain, as if the injury had only happened yesterday. Alex swore she could feel the ghost of a knife entering a non-existent eye sometimes, and it always brought back that pain, that reminder of how rotten the world really was.

The reminders were everywhere. Most of them small and insignificant enough that most people just pushed them aside or ignored them, not wanting to sacrifice whatever false sense of security and happiness they had to indulge such reminders. It disgusted Alex. How rotten and corrupt the world really was. How weak and pathetic people were to ignore such corruptness. She wasn't naïve enough though to think she was any better than everyone else. She too was guilty of the very same acts that disgusted her. Alex was no hero. She wasn't like Lena or Zenyatta or anyone else from Overwatch that were considered heroes. Alex could be selfish as hell and often hated people and didn't want to have to deal with them and kept to herself and didn't get involved in other people's problems. Alex could just walk away right now. Ignore what was happening right in front of her eyes just like everyone else on the street was doing. It wasn't directly affecting her, and her chances of getting home unscathed were significantly higher if she didn't intervene. Sure, the omnic would likely suffer injuries, maybe even death, and the thugs might get away with it, but that wasn't her problem, was it? Did she care?

Alex suddenly burst out laughing in the middle of the alley, startling the group of thugs who finally drew their attention away from the omnic, and to the seemingly crazy young woman with the oddly light silver hair.

"She must have a screw loose!" Exclaimed the pink haired woman as the four thugs observed the young woman laughing to herself in front of them.

The four exchanged curious looks before the leader of the group, the small man with the mohawk, addressed the girl directly.

"Hey! You lost or something?" He asked, slightly creeped out by the girl.

Alex finally regained her senses when she heard a voice calling out. Looking up she realised the thugs were looking at her both expectantly and apprehensively. The scared omnic was also looking at the girl, both curious and hopeful.

Looking down at the omnic and then up at the thugs Alex realised she did care. She wasn't a hero. She never proclaimed to be someone with high standing morals. But there was a line. A line where Alex realised she couldn't simply be an ignorant bystander. She felt stupid for even hesitating in the first place. If anything her eye was a reminder of this. She'd always been the kind of person to stand up to bullies and this was no exception. Alex wasn't really sure if she was doing it to necessarily help the victims, or to punish the bullies for her own twisted kind of vendetta, but either way, Alex was never going to just walk away.

She looked at the guy with the mohawk, seeing as he was closest to her out of the four, and finally spoke up.

"Four against one? That hardly seems fair." Alex said, smiling at the group in front of her, before motioning with her head to the scared omnic on the ground.

The mohawk guy looked down at the omnic and spat, before looking back up at Alex and smiling menacingly.

"What do you care? You some machine lover or some shit?" He asked, prompting his lackeys to start laughing loudly.

"Ooh! Maybe it's her boyfriend!" The pink haired woman added, cackling loudly along with her posse.

Alex grit her teeth through her fake smile as the mohawk man approached her sassily, poking her in the shoulder aggressively.

"Run along little girl, this isn't any of your business and we wouldn't want that pretty face to get hurt now would we?"

Alex smirked at this, before replying under her breath:

"I don't think it's my face you should be worried about."

"What was that, robot slut?" The mohawk guy asked snidely, his hand still pressed uncomfortably into Alex's shoulder.

Before he could react to the movement, Alex whipped her right hand up, grabbing his hand by his pointer and middle fingers and snapping them in a backwards motion, a satisfying crunch resounding from them. The man screeched from the pain, and faster than he could retaliate, Alex brought her left hand swiftly up and punched him hard in the face, sending him falling backwards onto his ass. He was screaming out in pain, clutching his broken fingers, when the burlier man suddenly sprung into action to defend his fallen comrade.

The guy's movements were slow, being that he was a big guy, and Alex was easily able to dodge his powerful but slow attempts at hitting her. She continued dancing around him, dodging his attacks until he tired a little, before she began her counter, first kicking him in the stomach, knocking the wind out of him, and then bringing her wrist up to collide with his nose, breaking the bone and sending him falling back, screeching just as loudly as his smaller friend.

The green haired guy and woman were pretty lanky and didn't seem like the fighting type, or so Alex had deducted by the way they had just watched the exchange and made no attempts to step in. Alex thought she'd made enough of an impression on them now for them to at least stay out of the brawl. Unfortunately the burly guy and mohawk guy were super pissed now and apparently still okay to fight. They both stumbled to their feet and began attacking her together.

It wasn't often that Alex fought against more than one opponent at once, but she was much more skilled than these thugs so she didn't have too much trouble dodging their combined attacks and pushing them back. Both men began charging her from the front, and Alex was certain she'd be able to dodge them again when suddenly the woman shrieked behind her, throwing her off for a fraction too long and as she jumped back to avoid the other two men, the green haired man had appeared on her other side, punching her hard across the face and sending her stumbling a bit. His hit had been hard, but like Alex had guessed, he normally didn't fight so it wasn't powerful enough to knock her down. She had underestimated him though, not thinking he'd attack at all. Alex clicked her tongue, annoyed at herself for letting her guard down.

As Alex had stumbled back, it gave the mohawk guy enough time to charge her again, and he kicked her hard in the stomach, this time finally sending her falling backwards onto her ass. Before she could get up again the burly guy was at her side and kicked her in the stomach so hard that Alex swore she heard bones crack. The blow took the wind out of her and she began gagging heavily as she struggled to breathe.

The thugs started laughing, revelling in their short victory as the burly man took a step away from Alex.

The world began to spin around her as she felt robbed of her breath and Alex couldn't help but think back to the other time. She needed to get up. She couldn't let them keep her on the ground like this when she was outnumbered. Blinking and breathing heavily, Alex mustered her strength and kicked her leg out, hitting the burly guy in the back of the knee hard enough to send him falling forward.

Alex was in immense pain, she was pretty sure the burly guy had broken one of her ribs, but nonetheless she pushed herself to her feet, determined to finish this battle.

The mohawk guy regained his senses first, charging her head on as if he'd learnt nothing from his previous attempts. She dodged him again, kicking him in the back of the knees to send him falling forward and jumping on his back. She grabbed his right arm from behind him and twisted it up behind him, holding him in place and applying pressure until she heard the satisfying pop that indicated she'd dislocated his shoulder.

The man let out a high pitched scream and Alex jumped back and away from his body, assuming that he'd be out of commission for now by the way he was wailing on the ground, not trying to get up. The burly guy had gotten to his feet again and started charging towards Alex. She dodged his massive force again, jumping back and stepping on an old pipe on the ground behind her, suddenly giving her an idea. The burly man turned back to her, his nostrils flaring underneath his bloody, broken nose. He again charged Alex, and as he approached, Alex kicked one end of the pipe below her foot, making it flip upwards. Catching the arm-length piece of metal in her right hand, Alex dodged the man's attack, jumping to the left this time, and swung the pipe around, hard, to make contact with the back of his head. The impact created a loud thud noise, before the man ungraciously fell to the ground, unconscious.

Alex swung the pipe around in her hand, smiling cockily even though her ribs hurt like hell. Mustering her most menacing expression, Alex glared at the green haired man and pink haired woman, daring them to make a move. The man looked pissed, like maybe he'd attempt to attack her, but the woman grabbed his shoulder:

"Just leave it Nate." She said, pleading.

The green haired man spat of the ground before he slightly backed away, indicating that he did not intend to fight. The two helped the mohawk guy to get up with his dislocated shoulder, him screaming during the entire process, and backed away further into the alley, eyeing Alex carefully until they rounded the corner and disappeared from sight. They hadn't even bothered trying to take the unconscious burly guy with them. He just lay in the dirty alleyway, face planted in the ground. Alex did not want to be around when he woke up to that headache.

Alex heard murmuring behind her from the street and turned to see that a small audience had formed. A few people were looking down into the alley, no doubt after hearing the screams coming from the mohawk guy.

'What, so _now_ they come?' Alex thought to herself, annoyed.

Some of them looked like they were dialling numbers on their phones, no doubt calling the local authorities. Deciding she didn't want to be around when they arrived, Alex threw the pipe onto the ground, and approached the omnic who was still lying on the ground. She leant forward and held out her hand.

"You okay?" She asked genuinely.

The omnic seemed a little reluctant at first, but after a moment they accepted the offer and took hold of Alex's hand as she pulled them to their feet. They observed her carefully before speaking up for the first time since Alex had entered the alley.

"I should ask you the same thing. That was pretty crazy, what you did." They replied, clearly taken aback by what Alex had done to the thugs, and sporting injuries of her own.

Alex laughed in response, glad that the omnic seemed fine for the most part.

"Yeah, I guess it was. Well, I don't mean to be rude, but I think the cops might be on their way and I'd reeeeally rather not have to deal with them, so if you're okay I'm gonna head off yeah?" Alex said, scratching the back of her head and smiling way too casually for the situation.

The omnic considered the girl in front of them for a moment longer before smiling themselves.

"Thank you." They said genuinely.

Alex smiled back at the omnic before high tailing it out of the alley, running hastily to her bus stop as she heard the sounds of sirens behind her.

* * *

Alex had managed to make it back it the safe house in one piece, more or less, and before Zenyatta or Lena too. She headed straight for her own bathroom to inspect her injuries. As she looked at her reflection in the mirror, Alex winced. She had a black eye on her left side from when the green haired guy had punched her.

'Shit!' Alex thought.

If it had just been the stomach injuries Alex could have hid them from Lena and Zenyatta, but face injuries were harder to conceal. The bruise was quite noticeable, and would likely deepen in the next few hours. Maybe there was makeup around here she could use to conceal it?

For now Alex focused on the more pressing issue, the injury she was actually worried about. She slowly took her leather jacket off and peeled up her singlet, wincing in pain at the motion of stretching her torso. Once the singlet was removed, Alex inspected the damage. The left side of her ribcage was a deep shade of purple in two patches from the kicks, the higher of the two significantly larger and deeper. This was the one that worried Alex the most and she feared the rib below might be cracked or worse: broken. She attempted touching the bruises lightly, only to withdraw her hand hastily at the pain.

"Fuck!" Alex exclaimed out loud.

She was sure it would need medical attention but she also didn't want to tell Lena or Zenyatta about the fight either. Maybe she could sneak away to the hospital while they were out tomorrow? She was still a minor though, so she wasn't sure if they'd treat her anonymously without Zenyatta finding out at the very least.

Not sure what else to do for now, Alex slowly took the rest of her clothes off and quickly showered, feeling dirty after the brawl.

When she was done she got dressed, painfully slowly managing to get her bra and singlet back on, and lay back on her bottom bunk, breathing deeply and wishing that the safe house had stronger painkillers.

Alex knew she should get up and find some make-up or something before the other two got home so she could conceal her black eye, but the thought of moving at the moment seemed way too painful so she just lay there, not quite sure how much time had passed when suddenly the door to her room swung open violently.

"Hey Alex! How was your day? Wanna go train?" Lena asked in her regular bubbly tone as she practically burst into the room, clearly in a very good mood.

Alex hadn't expected her to be home so soon, or maybe she'd just been lying there longer than she thought, regardless she still had a very evident black eye. Not wanting Lena to see that she was injured and not quite sure what to do she just grabbed the pillow from underneath her head and threw it over her face, covering herself up and muffling her voice.

"Haven't you heard of knocking?!" She yelled through the pillow.

Lena giggled in response and apologised, adding:

"Sorry Luv, just thought I'd surprise you." She added happily.

Lena watched Alex's reaction amusedly. Why was she covering her face with a pillow? Curiosity got the better of Lena, and she decided to creep quietly up to the side of the bed. Once she'd reached the edge, she crouched down beside the girl quietly, pausing for a moment before grabbing the pillow and swiftly swiping it away from the girl's face, smiling widely at her teasing handiwork. Her expression immediately turned to worry when she saw the girl's face.

Lena wasn't sure what the girl had been hiding, but she certainly didn't expect to be greeted by a mortified Alex with a deep bruise forming around her left eye.

"What the bloody hell happened?!"


	11. Chapter 11

The constant beeping of medical monitors and the stark white walls that surrounded Alex were almost enough to drive her insane. She hated hospitals. To her they were places burdened with the sick and dying. Not to mention being in them brought up unwanted memories from her childhood. When they'd found her abandoned after her parents were murdered, Alex had spent the better part of 3 months in one of these lousy places, the doctors poking and prodding her, running test after test to determine the cause of her bewildering amnesia. Everything about her stay had been hell, and she'd done her very best to avoid having to ever set foot in one of these damned places again, and yet here she sat, and ice-pack pressed against her aching ribs and a not-too-happy Lena Oxton sitting beside her, tapping her foot impatiently.

Lena had inevitably found out about Alex's chest injuries as well as her black eye, and had insisted they go to the hospital immediately. Alex had tried to refuse but Lena was having none of it and practically dragged the girl here.

They'd been sitting in awkward silence for a while now, awaiting the results of the x-ray Alex had been given to determine the extent of the damage to her ribs. Alex knew Lena was just busting to ask her how it had happened, but she'd held her tongue the entire trip here, and even now while they were sitting in the waiting room she didn't ask. Alex wondered if she'd be lucky enough for her not to ask at all. Wishful thinking probably. Alex held and ice-pack against her ribs and just stared at her lap, refusing to make eye-contact with the older woman.

They were greeted by the young doctor who had provided the x-ray and both women stood up, albeit for Alex it was slower due to the prevalent pain radiating from her chest.

"We have the results from the x-ray." The young doctor began, before addressing Lena:

"Are you the girl's guardian?"

Lena was about to deny when a familiar voice answered from behind them:

"That would be me."

Alex winced at the familiar voice of Zenyatta, turning to face him with a mix of shame and mortification showing on her face. She'd hoped Lena hadn't told him and that she could at least hide her shame from one of them but apparently that wasn't going to be the case. Alex felt kind of betrayed that Lena had told him without informing her, and she shot the older woman an accusatory glare, to which Lena raised her hands defensively and sighed.

"I had to tell him Luv. He's your legal guardian."

'Not yet.' Alex thought to herself rebelliously. She knew she was being petty but she felt cornered and she knew that there were going to be questions that she really didn't want to answer. She was used to answering to Daishin or no one. It was new to her, having other people be concerned for her and having to tell them about her stupid rash decisions that often lead to violence.

The young doctor eyed Zenyatta carefully before asking:

" _You're_ the girl's legal guardian?"

Alex didn't like the woman's accusatory tone and was about to give the ignorant woman a piece of her mind when Lena grabbed her wrist lightly, stopping her, before speaking up:

"Shall we take this to a more private setting?"

"That sounds good." Zenyatta agreed calmly.

The doctor sighed audibly, but led the three to her office without questioning Zenyatta any more, offering them a seat before pulling up Alex's x-ray.

"You suffered two blows to the abdominal and chest region. The lower of the two is bruised but there is no serious damage. The higher of the two is significantly larger, and has caused damage to the rib. The damage is slight, and will heal on its own, but full recovery time will be about 3-4 weeks. I'll prescribe you some painkillers and an exercise routine to aid in its healing. It will hurt the most for the next few days, but the rib didn't fracture which is good news. The injuries could have been a lot worse, you were lucky this time." The doctor explained calmly.

Lena and Zenyatta seemed to sigh in relief, and while Alex didn't outwardly express it, she really was relieved the damage wasn't as bad as she's thought. Still, four weeks of no heavy training was going to suck.

"Does that mean I can leave now?" Alex asked hopefully.

She really did hate being in hospitals and if everything was fine surely she could leave right?

The doctor considered Alex for a moment, glancing at Zenyatta and Lena awkwardly before speaking up.

"Yes, well. Medically you are fine to leave, however. Miss Cross. The injuries you have sustained are consistent with that of blunt force trauma. I've seen injuries like this before, and they usually occur when people have been hit or kicked. I need to ask, is this an incident you need to report to the authorities?"

Alex suddenly felt very aware of the intense gazes of all three people in the room. She was sitting between Lena and Zenyatta, the doctor sitting directly across from her and she knew they were all waiting for her to speak up and explain the situation but all she wanted to do was run. She was good at running. When it came to dealing with things she didn't want to face she usually pushed them aside and ran. She was kind of doing that now with Daishin's second letter and the questions about her future. Ignoring the looming issues and hoping they'd just disappear.

Suddenly the weight of all the decisions she'd been avoiding became inherently overbearing and her breathing began to pick up. She glanced frantically around the room for an escape, for some way out before she had a panic attack. She eyed the door to her left intensely. She'd have to jump over Lena but in one swift movement she could be out and then she could finally breathe without the crushing expectations of the people currently in the room with her.

Suddenly a soft hand made contact with her own and squeezed it lightly, breaking Alex out of her previous trance. She followed the arm up to its owner and looked into Lena's reassuring eyes. The gesture was genuine and actually managed to calm her down some. She still didn't want to be in this situation, she didn't want them to know. It was stupid, she got hurt because she was reckless, end of story. Even if she did want to report those thugs they'd likely just get off the charges soon after. What was the point? Alex wasn't some hero of justice or anything, she wasn't like Lena or Zenyatta or the other members of Overwatch who seemed to fight for a cause. Now that Alex thought about it she didn't really know why she fought.

A light cough from Lena indicated to Alex that the three were still waiting for her to speak. It seemed there was no getting out of this conversation after all.

Alex took a deep breath and sighed before she attempted to recount the events that led to her injuries without going into too much detail. They didn't need to know everything and even with Lena's calming presence she still didn't like having to actually admit what had happened.

"I just. I got into a fight I guess." She said nonchalantly, trying to shrug it off as if it wasn't a big deal.

Alex hoped that they'd be satisfied with that short answer, but apparently her simple explanation was only sufficient in her eyes.

"Were you attacked young one?" Zenyatta asked calmly, with a hint of concern in his usually monotone voice.

"No! It wasn't like that. Well not really. I mean, _technically_ I threw the first punch." Alex stuttered, smiling widely, trying to relieve the tension in the room and ease their worries.

"You, instigated a fight?" Zenyatta asked, slightly more concerned this time. He had heard that Alex could be hot headed but he doubted that the girl would start a fight for no reason.

Alex realised that her simple explanations weren't going to cut it, and not wanting them to think that she was some out of control thug, she reluctantly decided to elaborate a little more.

"I didn't start it. Well I mean I did, but I didn't _start_ it. They were picking on this omnic, ganging up on him, and no one was doing anything, so I y'know, stepped in." Alex explained awkwardly.

There was silence in the room before Lena spoke up:

"You said 'they'?"

"Well. Yeah, there were four of them."

Alex noticed Lena's eyes widen in concern and her grip tighten around her hand so she suddenly jumped in to lessen her worry.

"Only three of them confronted me though! And I was doing fine really! I just let my guard down and one of them snuck up on me. I wouldn't have been hit at all otherwise; really it's no big deal!"

Lena sighed before replying with a seemingly sad smile:

"You shouldn't take your wellbeing so lightly y'know? We wouldn't be in here if it was no big deal."

Alex felt a burning sensation in her heart at Lena's words. Was she, disappointed in her? Should Alex not have intervened when she did? No. Alex stood by her actions. Sure it was reckless and most would probably say stupid, but she'd never been one to turn away from a fight like that. But still. Right in that moment she couldn't help but feel like she'd let Lena down and it hurt. She didn't know what else to say so she just sat in silence, staring at her lap.

"I think we'll take our leave for now Doctor. If Alex wishes to make an official statement we will contact the local authority." Zenyatta stated calmly.

The doctor sighed, but agreed to discharge Alex without taking a statement at that point.

* * *

The drive back to the safe house was silent. Lena had driven them to the hospital earlier in the evening in the company car in which the three now resided. Alex had opted to sit in the back seat, out of sight from her two companions who were no doubt disappointed in her. It was odd. Alex usually hated dealing with people for this very reason. If she didn't care what anyone thought of her that meant she didn't have to worry about disappointing anyone. The only person's opinion she'd ever really cared about was Daishin's, but now she had Zenyatta and Lena and it felt overwhelming to have the extra burden of now worrying about what they thought of her too. And Alex did care what they thought of her. For someone who usually prided herself in being apathetic towards others, here she was with two people she'd known just over a week, and she had a sinking feeling in her stomach that she'd somehow let them down, and it bummed her out to say the least.

'Emotions suck!' She thought to herself, exhausted at everything that had transpired in such a short time.

More silence hung between the three as they entered the safe house, and it was only when they reached the kitchen that Zenyatta finally spoke up.

"Would you two like some dinner?" He asked calmly, clearly trying to shift the mood from awkward to casual.

Lena looked at Alex expectantly. Obviously the question was more directed at her than anything. Alex couldn't deny that she was pretty hungry, she hadn't eaten since the markets, but she also didn't want to have to sit through more awkward silence with the other two silently judging her. More than anything she was exhausted, emotionally, physically.

"Nah. I think I'll just turn in for the night. Thanks though." Alex said politely, smiling at them as she turned to leave. The gesture was so fake she doubted it was convincing, but she was so exhausted she didn't really care at this point.

Reaching her room in the quaint little safe house, Alex fell unceremoniously onto her bottom bunk and stared absentmindedly at the empty bed above her in the darkness. She couldn't shake the feeling that she'd somehow disappointed Lena and Zenyatta. It hurt especially for Lena's case. Not for the first time since meeting the bubbly woman, she found herself caring way too much about what the brunette thought of her.

"So much for your winning streak…" Alex said to herself with a dry sense of humour.

She sighed loudly, wincing slightly at the pain in her ribs, still slightly present even with all the painkillers she'd taken. With her injury she'd have to sleep on her back for the next week probably, which meant she wasn't likely to get much rest at all, although Alex had a sneaking suspicion that wouldn't be the only reason for her not being able to sleep tonight.

* * *

_The room around Alex was stark white and smelled heavily of bleach. The people around her all seemed to be framed in white, white coats, white masks, it was so overwhelmingly stark that she found it hard to keep her eyes open without them watering._

_The white coats were talking around her, not directly acknowledging her presence, not that she was really there totally to begin with._

_"She was found abandoned on a bus four blocks from here…"_

_"…Hasn't spoken a word…"_

_"Maybe she's not all there?"_

_"State of shock…"_

_One of the coats leant down to Alex's level where she sat on the equally stark white bed and spoke to her directly, asking her questions that Alex had neither the knowledge or capability of answering in her current state.  
_

_Her mind was a buzz, nothing really registered around her and all of the white made everything just blend together in a whirl of nothingness. Alex thought that perhaps she was dead, stuck in this blindingly white world where nothing made sense at all, when suddenly a different white coat approached out of her peripheral vision, catching her attention immediately when she saw the dark red splotches on his coat._

_She remembered red, and how it somehow linked to another colour. Suddenly flickers of blue invaded her mind, filling her senses with that sickeningly sweet scent that felt like it was consuming her completely. She remembered the red liquid, pooling around her feet and the empty eyes of someone she thought she might know. The blue blur was in her face again, perhaps it was a person? Alex was scared, but she didn't remember why, she didn't remember anything until a sharp object made contact with her skin and she suddenly screamed violently out in pain._

* * *

Alex sprung awake in her bed, gasping loudly at the pain that suddenly shot through her chest at the swift movement. She clenched her fist at her rib, her whole body shaking violently as the painful memories washed over her. Her body felt overbearingly hot, and she realised her sheets were slick with sweat. Looking around the room to get her bearings, Alex took several deep, drawn out breaths in an attempt to calm herself down. Her rib was killing her, and the physical pain actually seemed to help ground her in the present, meaning she thankfully avoided an all-out panic attack.

She sighed once her breathing returned to normal. She knew being in the hospital would drag up those unwanted memories.

Looking at the drenched sheets below her and her equally drenched clothes, Alex decided to take a shower to further calm herself down. She didn't linger this time, the pain in her rib begging her to lie back down. Having not changed from her regular clothes when she'd slumped into bed, Alex didn't have anything but her new gym clothes to change into, so she awkwardly pulled them on and left the darkness of her room.

She needed some fresh air, and so her feet inevitably took her to the place she'd spent a lot of time soul searching in these past few days, to her run-down couch back up on the surface. The sky was clear, so the little room was illuminated quite well under the brightness of the stars.

Not wanting to sleep again anytime soon, Alex was content enough to just stare at the stars absentmindedly until exhaustion would no doubt take over again. She'd probably have to move back downstairs if she started feeling sleepy. She didn't want to have to deal with another embarrassing story of Lena carrying her to her room bridal style.

As if on cue, Alex heard soft footsteps coming from the hallway, recognising them instantly as Lena's. She pushed herself up into a sitting position as she heard the other woman enter the room.

"Couldn't sleep either?" Lena asked with a small smile.

Alex blushed a little at the expression, and looked back up at the stars before replying simply:

"No."

Lena, used to the girl's tendency for short answers by now, simply stepped forward at sat down in the vacant seat of Alex's shabby lounge. She watched Alex's face for a moment, trying to read what the girl was thinking, before joining her in looking up at the stars.

"They're really pretty once you get out of the city huh?" She said casually.

Alex didn't say anything, just nodded in agreement, which Lena had kind of expected, so she pushed on:

"Makes you feel pretty small, looking up at all that and wondering where you fit into that infinite universe."

Lena looked over to Alex now, who had a guilty look on her face and was trying to avoid eye-contact with her. Lena knew the girl was holding something in, she found herself able to read the girl more easily every day that she knew her, even if the stubborn girl didn't give her much to work with. Knowing that Alex would likely not open up willingly without a push, Lena decided to tackle the issue head on, asking right out what had been on her mind the whole evening:

"Why did you do it?"

Alex suddenly looked over to the other woman, confused. Of all the things Lena could have said, she wasn't expecting a question like that and it threw her off.

Noting her confused expression, Lena decided to clarify:

"The thugs who were hassling the omnic. Why did you step in? You said other people were just ignoring them, why didn't you?"

Alex's confused frown only deepened. She'd thought about this herself on the many occasions something like what happened today had happened. She still couldn't decide on a real answer though.

"I- I don't know." She said honestly, pausing to think it over some more before adding:

"I hate bullies like that. I guess I always have."

Lena smirked and replied teasingly:

"Something tells me this isn't the first time you've jumped into a situation like this."

Alex looked away guiltily and had to stop herself from almost reflexively bringing her hand up to her right eye at the memory.

"I'm sorry." She said, genuinely apologetic. This was what had been bothering her from before, that Lena was disappointed in her for what she did.

"What are you sorry for Luv?" Lena asked cheerily, adding: "What you did was pretty brave."

Alex looked at the other woman, puzzled. Lena seemed happy, and she'd called her 'brave'. Was she, not disappointed? So why had she looked so sad at the hospital? Alex was so confused. Was she this bad at reading other's emotions?

"Are you not, disappointed in me?" She asked tentatively.

"Why would I be disappointed?" Lena asked curiously.

"Well, at the hospital. When I said it wasn't a big deal-"

Lena suddenly leaned over, flicking Alex in the forehead, cutting her off before she could finish. She then placed her hand on the younger girl's head affectionately before saying:

"I said it was a big deal because you getting injured is a big deal. You shouldn't take your personal wellbeing so lightly. I guess that made me a little sad, that's all. I'm not disappointed in what you did though. Like I said it was pretty brave, taking on four of them. It's like you're already a member of Overwatch or something. The world could always use more heroes."

Alex blinked slowly, taking in what Lena had said. It seemed Alex had read the situation at the hospital wrong after all. Clearly she wasn't getting better at this whole 'reading people' business. A part of Alex felt lighter now that she knew that Lena wasn't in fact disappointed in her. It almost was enough to make her smile, but Lena's last few words caused her to frown again.

"I'm not a hero." She stated matter of factly.

This made Lena frown and look at the younger girl in the eye.

"And what makes you say that? You saved that omnic didn't you? I'd call that pretty heroic." Lena said encouragingly. Clearly the girl didn't have quite a high enough opinion of her own good deeds.

Alex's frown deepened as she looked at the other woman, trying to work out how to phrase what she was trying to say.

"I didn't really save him though. He'll likely suffer the same kind of harrassment again. So if you think about it, I didn't really do much. Besides, I- I don't know _why_ I helped him. What if it's not that I wanted to save the omnic, but that I wanted to punish the thugs? Or if it's for personal reasons? Doesn't that make it, well, yeah..."

Alex trailed off, not quite sure where she was going with the rest of her sentence.

Lena considered the confused young girl in front of her and was reminded of her own younger self. Not quite sure where she fit in, but having the indescribable need to help people, whether she knew it at the time or not. It was true, there could be a plethora of other reasons contributing to why Alex chose to charge in to help people in situations like she had, and none of them might have been simply because it was the morally right thing to do, but the fact that she just did it without thinking, and on numerous occasions, was enough to convince Lena that the girl had what it took. She just lacked confidence in herself. She needed a push in the right direction, like Lena had needed back then.

"I think. That the reason you do it doesn't matter." Lena said matter of factly.

Alex looked up at her, slightly surprised at her answer as Lena continued.

"I think that you're one of the few of us who have been gifted with the indescribable need to help others. Whether it be for a specific reason, or just because we simply can't stand by and watch. I think that makes us special in a way, and I also think it gives us a lot of responsibility."

"Responsibility?" Alex asked curiously.

"Responsibility. If you have the power to fix something, it's your responsibility to do so. Today, you had the power to help that omnic by confronting those thugs, and that's what you did. Anything that happens to him after today isn't within your power to control. I guess that means people like us are always striving to be stronger too, to have more to give so the changes we make can be bigger and more permanent. That's kinda cheesy I guess, huh?" Lena giggled as she finished her attempt at an inspirational speech.

In the corner of her eye, she noticed Alex was thinking hard about what she had just said. Perhaps the girl had never looked at it like that before and always just assumed her actions were merely personal. After training with the girl extensively over the past few days and learning more about her, Lena had considered making the proposition to her, and now seemed like as good a time as any:

"Hey Alex. I think you should enrol at Overwatch academy."


	12. Chapter 12

The cool morning breeze brushed lightly against Alex's face as she walked up the hillside. The sun was just beginning to rise over the horizon, creating magnificent streaks of pink and orange in the morning sky. Alex paused for a moment to take in the sight of the suburb nearby. The colourful hues dancing in the sky reflected beautifully in the water from the canal, giving the place this magical presence that Alex knew would fade as soon as the sun fully rose and the world began to awaken. For now though, she was content to take in the stunning scenery before her, reminding her of the first time she'd laid eyes on it.

* * *

_"Why did we have to wake up so early again?" Alex whined as she grudgingly followed Daishin up the hillside, deliberately taking heavy and exaggerated steps in protest of the unfair and boring experience._

_"So we could beat the sun young one." Daishin replied as if the answer was obvious._

_Alex clicked her tongue at the omnic impatiently, rolling her eyes at his back as he proceeded on ahead of her._

_"Well yeah! That part was obvious. But why? If the sun isn't up why the hell should we be?!" Alex whined louder this time, exhausted from the treck and the unexpected lack of sleep she had gotten thanks to her omnic mentor.  
_

_Daishin frowned at her use of curse language, a trait of hers that was far too common for his liking. He sighed and stopped walking, turning around to address the girl directly._

_"The world can look like a different place in the early morning, before the inevitable disturbance from people as they hustle about. I had hoped for you to gain a greater appreciation of your surroundings." Daishin stated wisely but somewhat exhausted, knowing that his hot headed young student would probably see the experience as menial and pointless._

_Alex avoided eye contact with him and muttered under her breath "I'd like to gain a greater appreciation of my bed..."_

_Her train of thought was cut short when Daishin suddenly spoke up: "Breathtaking."_

_Alex looked up at the ever-wise omnic in front of her, who was now looking over the horizon in a sense of awe that Alex had not seen in him before. Daishin wasn't the type to be eluded by many things, but the way he looked out at the rising sun as if it were some magnificent ethereal being kind of took Alex's breath away. She was constantly amazed that someone like Daishin, who had seen most of the world several times over, could still find mystery and beauty in something as simple as the sun rising. It almost made Alex feel bad for whining the entire hike up here._

_Alex sighed, taking a few steps forward to stand by Daishin's side and attempt to see the beauty he was seeing. Daishin often did things like this. He tried so hard to get Alex to see the beauty and wonder in life, and it's not like Alex outright rejected it, she just saw the world differently she guessed. Coming from where she came before meeting Daishin, she often found it hard to see beauty in life rather than hardship and pain. Daishin had helped though, as much as she'd never give him the satisfaction of admitting it out loud._

_She looked out at the sun rising over the houses and parks, the oranges and pinks reflecting off the water from the canal to create a myriad of colour that would likely last only a few minutes. She could probably guess the lesson Daishin had in mind, the whole "life is beautiful even if it doesn't always seem that way" or "beauty is in the way one looks at something" or something bullshit like that. And Alex got it, to an extent. She couldn't deny that the way the suburbs were illuminated under the warm morning light was indeed quite breathtaking, but her ever pessimistic mind came to the conclusion that, like all things in life, beauty was fleeting, and with time would disappear along with everything else. Memories, family, beauty, they were all fleeting…_

_Alex looked back up at Daishin, who was still gazing intently at the sunrise before him. She kind of envied him in that moment, wishing she could see the world the same way he did; hoping that one day with enough time and healing, eventually she might. Hope. Another one of Daishin's constant lessons._

_Alex stared over the horizon in silence until the sun had fully risen and the colourful myriad was no longer; the streets below beginning to awaken with a buzz._

_"Can I go back to bed now?" She asked sarcastically, making a point of rolling her eyes dramatically._

* * *

Alex could still hear Daishin's amused laughter as if it had only occurred yesterday, the rare sound echoing in her mind and filling her senses with a sad joy.

She breathed in the fresh morning air deeply, and knelt in front of the small carved stone protruding from the earth in from of her. She smiled sadly, imagining Daishin standing next to her now, trying to teach her some deep and meaningful lesson that would no doubt just go over her head, his laugh echoing pleasantly when she playfully teased him about it. It always amazed Alex how he could go from serious and wise to playful and cheerful in the blink of an eye, often amused by her antics she assumed. She liked making him laugh.

She tentatively placed a hand on the small stone, the light breeze picking up slightly, sending a flurry of leaves dancing around them. Alex let out a small laugh at the movement.

"You know if you're trying to convince me that spirits don't exist you're doing a lousy job." She said jokingly, laughing again as the wind picked up in another flurry, causing her hair to dance around her face. Alex reached for the wild strands, intending to tuck them behind her ears only to find her hand greeted by wetness when it brushed her cheek. She hadn't even felt the tears rolling off her cheeks until now.

She sniffed loudly, wiping the wetness from her face with her sleeve in one swift movement. She laughed again, wondering what Daishin would say if he were here.

"I'm a mess aren't I old man?" Alex said jokingly, laughing loudly in bravado, but causing more tears to fall in rapid succession.

Alex usually hated crying, but here she was alone, Daishin's headstone a painful reminder of that fact, and so she just sat and cried and laughed and joked until the sun had long since fully emerged from the horizon.

It was approaching midday before Alex had finally made her way back down the hillside, approaching the house where she'd spent most of her childhood with her omnic guardian and mentor.

It'd been about a month since she'd left the safe house in Kings Row and Lena had given her the proposition regarding Overwatch. Lena had left the day following their discussion on a mission regarding the organisation. Zenyatta had also been busy on his own mission, meaning Alex saw little of him during the time she'd spent there. After a few more days Alex had made the decision to come home to Bradford. All of the paperwork regarding her legal adoption by Zenyatta had been filed and he was now legally her guardian until she reached the age of 18 in a year. Despite not knowing the omnic long, Alex found that she had grown to trust him, and him being her legal guardian at least took some pressure out of all the other important decisions that were looming over the young woman.

Alex still hadn't opened Daishin's second letter. Every night she stared at it intently for what seemed like hours sometimes. Sometimes her hands would make the movement to pluck open the envelope, but they never pulled through completely. Alex was still scared of the darkness of going down that path, of what it might do to her. It was a decision that she would likely not make for some time.

Then there was the decision regarding her future, which had taken a surprising and unexpected turn after that last night she'd spent with Lena in Kings Row. Studying something beyond high school level had always appealed to Alex. Much like her guardian, knowledge had always been something she sought eagerly, which was perhaps partly the reason she'd managed to finish her home-schooling over a year in advance. Daishin had told her that she was quite gifted with in deduction skills, and she was particularly interested in science and physics. She had a knack for knowing how things worked, which is perhaps why she picked up omnic repair skills from Daishin so quickly.

Yes. Alex was sure that even without Lena's proposal she would have eventually decided to study somewhere at a tertiary level. Perhaps even abroad. Like everything in life though, education cost money. Had Daishin still been with her, Alex knew he would have been more than willing to help pay her way. He wanted Alex to experience all that life had to offer. Alex helped him in the shop to earn her own keep, but she knew the omnic was not exactly raking in funds, and it would likely put a strain on finances.

After Daishin had… left her, Alex didn't think about much at all. All thoughts about what she would do with her future were put on hold. Suddenly the thought of moving forward with her own life brought a terrible pang of pain and guilt into Alex's heart and for the longest time she thought she'd be forever stuck in her grief. That was, until an unlikely letter prompted her trip to Kings Row.

For the first time in a long time, Alex had…friends. She wasn't quite ready to accept them as anything more, like family. Alex wasn't a particularly trusting person and the fact that she'd been able to call them even friends was a huge step for her, at least she thought so anyway. And it was at the suggestion of one of her new friends that she should study at Overwatch Academy.

Despite never having really travelled much, Alex knew of the academy. You'd have to be living under a rock to not know of the place. It'd been established surprisingly quickly 3 years ago when Overwatch was officially announced to be a fully functioning and legally recognised organisation again. The academy had been announced the same year, making Alex think that the planning had gone into the facility long before Overwatch had been officially re-established.

Overwatch Academy was a university for training the next generation of Overwatch agents. The next generation of heroes Alex supposed. Which is exactly why Alex had never even considered the option before. Alex was no hero, and she wasn't exactly sure her moral scale leaned towards the good side, but Lena had apparently seen something of value in her, otherwise she wouldn't have suggested it right?

Alex had promised Lena that she'd consider it. And she did. It was a lot to take in initially, with everything else that Alex had had to deal with recently. Alex's feelings aside, the academy was in America! That alone was a massive leap that Alex wasn't quite sure she'd be ready to take. She'd never been that far from home. She'd never left England for that matter.

She couldn't deny that the idea of studying abroad did hold a lot of appeal. There'd be so many new things to learn, new cultures and traditions to experience, just like Daishin had experienced. With travel though, money would always be an issue. Fortunately in this case, there were no study costs involved with Overwatch Academy. The government apparently saw it as an investment in the world's future of security, so unlike a lot of other universities, there were no tuition fees involved with the academy. That was something to be excited about. Daishin had left Alex with a substantial amount, but she still felt weird using it, not quite sure if she deserved it to begin with.

All of these thoughts pulsed through Alex's mind several times over in her first few weeks back in Bradford. The first thing she'd realised after a few nights was that she suddenly felt incredibly alone in the small house. It was odd. Alex had generally enjoyed being alone the majority of the time. But she supposed she'd never really been alone with Daishin beside her. She supposed she hadn't really known what true loneliness felt like until after his passing, well, maybe after her parents too. That had been different though. Alex barely knew who she was back then. It seemed different now somehow. Then after spending time with Lena and Zenyatta in Kings Row, suddenly the emptiness felt a lot worse, like she suddenly craved the contact.

As much as Alex hated to admit it to herself, she particularly missed Lena. Something about the cheerful, bubbly woman stirred a variety of warm but unfamiliar feelings within herself. Her heart would skip a beat at the mere thought of the other woman, sometimes making Alex feel hot and embarrassed all at once. On several nights the thoughts had led to, intimate discoveries of her own body. Alex still didn't know what these feelings meant exactly. She'd never been particularly good with emotion. Still, one she came to know well in the absence of Lena, and even Zenyatta, was loneliness.

As Alex walked home from the hillside, she was reminded of something Lena had said to her that night:

_"I think it will be good for you. To be around like-minded people."_

Alex had thought about that a lot. Initially the statement made her scoff inwardly. 'Like-minded'? Sure. Overwatch Academy would be filled with goody-two-shoes and losers with superiority complexes. Alex highly doubted she'd get along with them. But then the more she thought about it, she realised that she already had. Lena and Zenyatta were Overwatch. They were, for lack of a better phrase, 'goody-two-shoes', and Alex had genuinely enjoyed their presence. They'd filled, if only partly, the void that was left in Alex's heart after Daishin had passed away. She realised only after being alone in Bradford again that she hadn't in fact felt lonely when she was with the two. Part of her wished she could just always stay with the two, follow them everywhere so she'd never feel that empty pit of despair she'd felt before meeting them. But Alex was not naïve. She knew that the lives they lived could not always cater to an untrained tag-along like herself. They were no doubt exposed to dangerous missions in Overwatch's stead at times, and Alex knew that she'd just be in the way, and that was even if they let her come, which she also highly doubted.

Suddenly the thought of the academy had become more appealing. Maybe if she was trained, she would one day be able to follow them on their missions if she still desired. And maybe, just maybe, she'd meet other people like Lena and Zenyatta at the academy, filling more small portions in the seemingly endless void in her heart. In a rare spout of optimism, Alex had made a call that had set the wheels of her future rolling. She'd finally made a decision. Whether or not that decision would end up being the right one, Alex supposed only time would tell.

Alex smiled as she rounded the corner leading up to her small Bradford house. Right in this very moment, that decision she'd made weeks ago truly seemed like the right one. In a world filled with many uncertainties, Alex finally felt like she was getting a grasp on her own destiny. She scoffed at the thought.

"It's about time Alex…" she said to herself teasingly.

"About time for what Luv?" Came a familiar, cheerful voice in front of her.

Alex had been so lost in her own thoughts that she hadn't even noticed the slightly taller woman with the spiked brown hair and orange goggles leaning nonchalantly against the small stone fence that surrounded her own house. Alex's eyes almost popped out of their sockets at the unexpected arrival of the other woman, and her mouth began opening and closing uselessly in an attempt to form words.

Lena laughed loudly at the gaping girl in front of her. "Come on Luv, how's a girl supposed to know if you're happy to see her or not?" She stated teasingly.

The cheerful familiarity washed over Alex completely, filling every corner of her body with an overwhelming warmth that she'd felt so starved of these past few weeks. Before even realising what her body was doing, she found herself closing the distance between the two women in almost a single leap, pushing her face into the older woman's shoulder and wrapping her arms tightly around her back, almost knocking the taller woman over. The movement was so bold for Alex, so out of character and forward, but something inside her didn't care for formalities, for the usual restraint that she would exercise. A strong desire for human contact, for physical contact, like her body, so starved of the simple motion most of her life, pushed her forward.

Lena was slightly taken aback by the girl's sudden movement. While she'd only known the girl a short while, she knew Alex well enough to know that she had never really shown a desire for physical contact like this before, often keeping her distance and remaining more reserved. Lena wondered what could have happened these past few weeks for the girl to act so boldly all of a sudden. The tiniest part of her worried that the girl had fallen into a deeper despair since the last time she saw her, but she didn't dwell on the thought. She was here for a joyous reason today after all. Instead, she simply reciprocated the girl's embrace, giving her the affection she seemed starved for.

"Whoa there! I'll take that as a 'yes' to missing me then?" Lena teased, chuckling warmly as she held the smaller girl in front of her.

Alex scoffed into Lena's shoulder, her face turning a deep shade of red as her mind finally caught up with her body's actions. But she didn't pull away, instead burying her burning embarrassment in Lena's shoulder as she lied smugly: "No! I just- I just tripped over!"

Lena laughed out loud again, that sweet and genuine laugh that gave Alex butterflies in her stomach. She decided she liked making Lena laugh.

"Uh huh. And is that why you're still holding onto me then?" Lena teased again.

Alex just shrugged her shoulders, burying her face deeper into Lena's shoulder and replying a muffled: "Guess you're just comfy."

This caused both women to laugh loudly, something Alex felt like she hadn't done so brashly in a long time. It was refreshing. When she calmed down from her fit of laughter, curiosity suddenly struck at Alex and she pulled herself away from the older woman to look up at her, frowning slightly.

"What are you doing here?" She asked genuinely curious.

Lena hadn't called to let her know she'd be visiting. Hell, Alex hadn't even given the brunette her address, although she had a sneaking suspicion a certain omnic may have played a part in that last one.

Lena smirked mischievously and pushed herself away from the smaller girl, unzipping her suitcase that was sitting behind her on the path. She pulled out something that was wrapped in blue foil, smiling triumphantly and handing the package to Alex. Alex reluctantly took the foiled item, not quite sure what Lena expected her to do with it. She spared the older woman a confused frown, which only led to another burst of laughter from the cheerful brunette.

"Happy Birthday Luv! It's your birthday present silly!" Lena stated cheerfully, a light teasing tone in her voice at the smaller girl's confusion.

Alex's cheeks suddenly felt flushed and she glanced away shyly, scratching the back of her head, muttering a stuttered: "Th-thank you."

How had Lena even known it was her birthday? Alex scoffed internally. Probably the same way she knew where Alex lived. Zenyatta.

"Well are you gonna open it Luv or just stare at my impeccable wrapping skills?" Lena teased.

Alex poked her tongue out at the older woman, laughing with her as she turned the package over and began to carefully pull at the tape that held the blue foil in place. After a few moments of precise unravelling, Alex was holding a medium sized backpack. It was a dark blue colour, and the fabric had this kind of patchy denim or vintage look to it that Alex immediately fell in love with. There were several compartments and pockets on the sides which would be very convenient for her smaller devices and mech equipment. She turned the bag over to inspect the front, and was surprised to see a small patch that had obviously been added to the bag on the front: a clock tower with the words 'Kings Row' sprawled across the front.

"It's one of those patch things you can sew on when you've visited a new place, and since you visited us in Kings Row, I went ahead and added the first one for you." Lena stated kindly.

Alex smiled at the small patch, running her finger over the slightly coarse fabric, before looking up at Lena.

"You really need to stop buying me things. But, thank you." She said genuinely.

Lena sighed in relief. She wasn't sure if the girl would have liked the gift, she was only guessing with the whole 'blue' theme and she'd seen Alex's old backpack was falling apart. She let out a chuckle.

"Phew! I'm glad you like it Luv. I wasn't really sure what to get you otherwise."

Alex laughed as well.

"This is awesome, really." Alex replied again genuinely.

"Well, I figured it'd be something practical for your big trip to America." Lena stated happily.

Alex gulped audibly. That's right. She'd be leaving for the academy next week, she'd completely forgotten. The semester didn't start for another few weeks, but she had to undergo medical examinations and an entrance exam to get into the place to begin with. 'Guess they don't just take in any old riff raff' Alex had supposed when Lena had told her about the entrance exam over the phone. Oh yeah, she had Lena's phone number now too. Another thing to add to the list of 'Things Alex Cross Never Thought She Would Have: Tracer's Phone Number'.

The idea of undergoing this medical examination and entrance exam slightly worried her at first, but Lena had assured her it would be fine. Apparently the medical stuff was just fitness testing and stuff to see if potential students were able to handle the work load the academy provided. As for the entrance exam, Lena had assured Alex it was not some test she could study for, but rather it would be scenario based and a practical activity, testing both physical and mental attributes in potential students.

Alex was sure she'd be fine in the physical department. Her training with Daishin had kept her fit and she was well versed in hand to hand combat if that were to be tested. It was the possibility of the entrance throwing her some curveball in decision-making that Alex worried about the most. She still wasn't confident that her morals aligned with someone worthy enough to be a part of Overwatch. She had a darkness within her, that she really hoped wouldn't be exposed before she could even really begin. So, despite being quite confident in her physical ability, Alex's concerns for other aspects of the exam led her to train exceptionally hard over the past week and a half. She wouldn't tell Lena she'd started full training again last week, before the 4 weeks full recovery time the doc had given her for her damaged rib was over.

With all her training and sulking over her loneliness and conflicting emotions regarding Daishin's second letter, time had completely slipped away from Alex enough that she had totally forgotten she'd be leaving the country in a week. Her own birthday had even crept up on her unexpectedly.

There were still a few things that Alex needed to take care of before she left. She needed to organise for someone to take care of the house in her absence. Mrs Miller across the street would be the first person she'd ask. The old woman had known Daishin since he moved into the neighbourhood, and she often brought them vegetables from her gardens in exchange for Daishin repairing her mechanical arm. Alex had thought the woman was cheating him out of a lot of money when she was younger, but the old quirky woman had always been kind to Daishin and Alex, she'd kind of grown on her. Speaking of, Alex would have to give the old woman's arm a clean and upgrade before she left too, not to mention she had a few other regular's orders to finish off.

Daishin had taught her a lot in the little shop of his, and Alex was a fast learner. She had her own regular customers by the time she was 12, no longer needing to merely assist Daishin with his work but having work of her own. She rather enjoyed tinkering. Pulling things apart and figuring out how they worked and then putting them back together in a way that improved them gave her an odd sense of satisfaction. She'd miss it once she left.

Having Lena bring up America suddenly made Alex think of all the things she'd miss when she was gone. This had been her home for most of her life. She wasn't even sure how to live outside this humble little house that she had shared with her mentor. If Daishin had been here now, Alex knew he would have implored her to embrace the change, to leap in head first into her new adventure, and she wanted to. With everything that had happened recently, she felt she needed to. Bradford would always be here. Her humble little home with the omnic repair store out front and the training area out the back, with Mrs Miller singing loudly across the street as she brewed her not-so-legal spirits, with her quirky regular customers who always gave her an extra tip even though they wouldn't for Daishin, with the local Cinema a few blocks over that she'd snuck into on numerous occasions for a 'free screening'; all of these things would be waiting for her when she decided to return, if she decided that. The only thing that wouldn't be waiting for her, the only thing that made it not quite complete, was Daishin.

Alex smiled sadly at the thought. Deep down she had a fear that she'd never come back once she left. If being here alone for the past few weeks had taught her anything, it was that the place was filled with sad reminders of her Omnic mentor. Maybe once she left she wouldn't return, maybe she would. Like everything, Alex presumed only time would tell.

Lena seemed to pick up on Alex's reluctance, the sadness apparent in her eyes. She reached out, placing a gentle hand on the girl's shoulder.

"You okay Luv?" She asked comfortingly.

Alex continued staring at her new backpack, still in a slight daze from her daydreaming. She'd thought a lot about this, more than she'd thought about anything before. She wasn't a hundred percent sure she was ready, but she figured no one was ever really a _hundred_ percent sure of anything. Alex could always take a gap year and try next year when she was 18? But no. Alex worried more about that outcome. So much time alone, she feared it would increase her hesitation. She needed to take action now, while she had the confidence. She was resolute. She was going to America next week, and she was going to get into Overwatch Academy.

She smiled at her new sense of resolve, looking up at Lena shyly before chuckling:

"I- I don't actually have a passport."


	13. Chapter 13

Alex stood triumphantly over her opponent, the biggest shit eating grin spread across her face as she stared down at the drenched Lena Oxton, lying on her back in the mud and grass below her.

Lena had kind of invited herself to stay with Alex for the remaining week before her big trip to America, not that Alex was complaining. It was no lie that Alex enjoyed the older woman's company, perhaps a little too much for her own good. Her own personal feelings aside though, Alex did need help sorting out a few things before she left the country.

She'd managed to finish up all of her omnic repair orders over the past few days, meaning that Daishin's repair shop was officially closed until further notice. Mrs Miller had agreed to look after the house for her with a little persuasion in the form of several bottles of aged whiskey: thankfully Alex had Lena with her to buy the stuff.

Alex had spent most of the rest of the week cleaning up the place and packing the various things she needed to take with her to the states. Fortunately, having Lena around was a massive help. She'd been to the academy, even taught a few semesters as a casual lecturer, and so she knew the kinds of things Alex would need to take, and things she probably didn't need. Alex was pleasantly surprised that she didn't have to haul half her house overseas. Apparently the dorms provided most living essentials.

There was also the matter of Alex needing a passport and study visa, both of which apparently usually took weeks to get approved, however Lena pulled some strings with the company to get Alex's fast tracked. Alex felt kind of bad that Lena was getting help from Overwatch for her before she'd even been accepted into the academy, but every time Alex mentioned anything Lena was way too optimistic about her chances.

_"_ _Consider it a future investment on one of their brightest new recruits!"_

Lena had said. Which, y'know, didn't add any extra pressure on Alex to succeed or anything.

Aside from helping Alex with all the paperwork, the older woman had been giving her more information about the entrance exam that she'd have to take part in to get accepted into the academy.

Initially Alex had felt guilty, not wanting an unfair advantage over the other candidates by getting help from a current Overwatch member, but Lena had informed her it was quite the contrary.

"Alex. Most people who'll be trying to get in would have studied for years for this specific entrance exam. They would have spoken to current students and lecturers about the exam and prepared for multiple scenarios on their own. Trust me, I'm not telling you anything that would lead to you having an unfair advantage."

Part of Alex felt guilty that her rival candidates had probably dreamt of this opportunity their whole lives when she'd only really decided on this path a few weeks ago, but the more smug side of her kind of relished in the idea of beating people at their own game. What could she say, she had a dark side.

Over the past few days Lena had been giving Alex the basic rundown of previous entrance exams. They were all simulated practical examinations, often having candidates either compete against or work together for some kind of goal. Points were awarded for various things, and candidates were tested on both their physical ability and their intellectual skills while 'in the field'.

Lena couldn't really help Alex with the intellectual stuff. Most of that involved circumstantial instincts and decision making that would be entirely dependent on the person and the scenario. She couldn't tell Alex 'how to react', that was something that would have to come naturally to Alex in the given circumstance.

"Well that's comforting." Alex had retorted sarcastically when Lena had told her, causing Lena to chuckle amusedly.

"Don't worry Luv. You've got charisma. I reckon you'll be fine." Lena had told her confidently.

The woman had far more confidence in Alex than she had in herself, that's for sure.

Lastly, Lena had been training with Alex every day as well. Lena was convinced Alex was fine in the fitness department, but Alex was always eager to face off against new opponents. Besides, she wanted to be back in prime condition after recovering from her rib injury while she was in Kings Row.

Alex wasn't sure what had changed, or if anything had really changed since she'd spared with Lena in Kings Row, but she found she was able to take on the other woman in a much more even match now. After the first couple of sessions, Alex had gained the upper hand in most of their sparring matches. Alex did have a home field advantage here she supposed. She'd spent years training in the small training area, aka her back yard. She knew it like the back of her hand. She also supposed she had probably been slightly intimidated by the other woman and her status as an Overwatch agent when they had first sparred, perhaps causing her to involuntarily hold back.

As their training continued however, Alex soon deducted that Lena wasn't a hand-to-hand combat fighter, or at least it wasn't her specialty. She couldn't deny that the other woman was skilled; she had to be with the years of field experience she had with a company like Overwatch. But the more Alex sparred with her the more she began to think that Overwatch employed the bubbly young woman for a reason other than her hand-to-hand combat skills. Still, she definitely put up a strong fight: Alex had the bruises to prove that. Her chronal accelerator definitely gave her an edge that had initially tipped the tides in her favour too, but like most things, Alex was a quick learner. The more she sparred with the other woman, the more she studied her fighting style. Before long, she was able to anticipate when Lena would and wouldn't activate the device. Needless to say she got more than a little smug.

Which led them to today's session.

Today was Alex's last day in Bradford before she'd be on a plane tomorrow morning to America. It had started raining lightly when the two were setting up to train, and Lena had suggested they skip altogether. Alex had smirked wickedly at this. Alex was no stranger to training outside in the rain. Daishin made her train literally rain, hail or shine. She got the feeling that Lena didn't like training in the elements, whereas Alex thrived in the outdoors. She had grown more confident in her abilities over the past few days, and didn't hesitate to playfully tease the older woman.

"What? Is the great Lena Oxton, Overwatch's own Tracer…afraid to get a little wet?" She'd teased smugly.

Lena had rolled her eyes at the younger girl's antics, pulling on her training gear and giving Alex a 'bring it on' look as the two stepped out into the rain.

"Don't blame me if you get a cold and flunk your entrance exam." Lena had teased back.

The grass had become a little slippery when slicked with the rain, and patches of the lawn that were thin were beginning to develop small mud patches where their feet landed as they danced around each other in a flurry of attacks and dodges.

Lena had just blinked away from one of Alex's blows, but slipped as she replanted her feet and landed on her back in a small mud pile. Alex had anticipated where she would blink to and was in the middle of her next attack when Lena had slipped and stopped herself mid-way to burst out laughing at the mud-covered woman beneath her.

Lena had been thrown off, literally, by her misstep, and just now realised the mud splotches covering her clothes in scattered patches, the rain causing her usually spikey hair to stick to her damp face. Alex's laughing above her only confirmed that she must look as ridiculous as she felt. She stared up at the younger girl above her, who wore a triumphant grin spread across her face and had a mischievous glint in her eye. It was the most alive she'd ever seen the girl, the most care free.

She'd been lucky enough to see Alex laugh and smile on more occasions than she thought when she originally met the angry, sad girl back in Kings Row. Even when the girl was laughing or smiling though, Lena could still see the weight of all her burdens in the girl's eyes, those ever expressive blue orbs. This was the first time Lena had seen none of that reserve, that sadness, that _burden_ in those eyes above her. For a moment, Alex was just a goofy, albeit smug as hell, teenager without a care in the world. It made Lena smile, a warm-hearted genuine smile. Maybe, just maybe, the troubled young girl in front of her would be okay, and maybe she was able to play a part in that happening.

Lena didn't know exactly when it had happened, but she had grown to care for Alex deeply, and she was genuinely happy to see her like this.

Lena must have been staring at the girl for too long, because Alex's smile suddenly turned to a slight frown as she leaned forward, bending slightly and placing her hands on her knees. She seemed to consider a moment before expressing mock concern:

"You okay there Lena? You didn't hit your head too hard down there did you?" Alex said cheekily, followed by her poking her tongue out at the older woman.

Lena laughed at the girl's antics, and replied in a similar mock way:

"Aww, you're so kind. Showing concern for your opponent like that." Lena started, pausing to push herself onto her hands slightly before adding:

"But you really shouldn't lose focus half way through a fight!" She finished in a semi shout, kicking her left leg out swiftly in a direct line towards Alex's left leg in front of her.

In an equally swift movement, Alex dodged the kick to her own leg by seamlessly back flipping out of the way before impact, landing gracefully on the wet ground a few metres away from Lena. As if rubbing it in Lena's face, the girl took a small bow, as if to announce her graceful landing despite the wet ground that had sent Lena falling on her ass. Lena rolled her eyes and laughed at the younger girl.

"Trying to make me slip up huh?" Alex stated teasingly, followed by a mock intimidating: "You're on my turf now, Oxton…"

Lena burst out laughing at the smaller girl's impersonation, pulling herself off the ground and wiping her hair out of her face. Alex laughed along with her, relaxing along with Lena, indicating to both of them that they were done sparring for the day.

"Come on then, let's shower up before we catch a cold yeah?" Lena said, motioning for Alex to follow her back into the small house.

* * *

Alex positioned her mech eye back in place after cleaning it out following her shower, eyeing the door occasionally to ensure that she had locked it and Lena wouldn't come stumbling in to discover her secret. She pulled her lower eyelid down and pressed into the bottom of the mechanical orb, a screen flickering and replacing the silver with the white and blue of her natural eye.

Alex sighed into the mirror. She wondered if she'd ever feel comfortable enough to tell Lena about her eye, or about any of her darker secrets for that matter. She shook the thought away. She had other things to worry about right now. It was her last night in Bradford and she wanted to spend it in one of her favourite places. She was hoping Lena wouldn't be opposed to the idea of accompanying her.

She unlatched the door and made her way across the hallway and into the small kitchen where she could hear Lena's voice. As she walked in she noticed Lena was one the phone. Not wanting to be rude, she was about to leave the room, but Lena gestured her over, waving her hand to let Alex know the call was almost over.

Alex made her way over, stopping at the fridge to pull a soda out for both women, placing one in front of Lena and sitting down on the opposite side of the breakfast bench, glancing over the Overwatch Academy pamphlet sitting there so Lena didn't think she was eavesdropping.

"Okay then Luv. Love you too, bye." Lena finished saying to the person on the other end of the line, before hanging up.

'Her partner' Alex deducted. Alex always felt a strange pang in her chest when she thought about Lena having a partner. Like many of the feelings she experienced around the other woman, its meaning eluded her, so she just pushed it aside to deal with at a later date. She didn't really know anything about Lena's partner, come to think of it. Lena had never really talked about them after Alex had not so willingly eavesdropped on their last…intimate phone call. For that matter Alex hadn't really asked either. She felt kind of guilty all of a sudden. Lena was her friend and she hadn't bothered to ask even their name. So as Lena hung up and gave her full attention to Alex, Alex decided she'd take their friendship a step further and ask Lena something about her life.

"Was that your partner?" Alex enquired casually, not sure if she should ask their name or if that would come off as prying too much.

Lena just smiled her ever present smile and replied:

"Yeah, that was Amélie."

Well at least Alex didn't feel the need to awkwardly ask now.

"She's actually teaching at Overwatch Academy this semester, you might end up having her as a lecturer." Lena continued, laughing at the last bit and nudging Alex's shoulder.

Alex considered for a moment before responding. She wasn't sure if she was happy at the prospect of meeting Lena's partner, not to mention she'd possibly be teaching her. Would it be weird because Alex knew Lena? Alex backtracked on that thought as quickly as it passed through her mind.

'Why would it be weird Alex?' She thought to herself. 'You're Lena's friend, I'm sure loads of other students have been friends with Overwatch agents, maybe even those who taught there.' The second thought prompted her next question:

"Are you teaching this semester?" She asked hopefully.

Lena rustled the younger girl's hair and replied warmly:

"Not this time I'm afraid. I've got another mission from Overwatch so I'll be travelling a bit for the next month or so."

Alex shrunk a bit at her response. She should have deducted that really when Lena told her she wouldn't be flying to America with her for her entrance exam. She assumed Lena would have gone with her if she could. Sometimes she forgot that the bubbly, warm woman before her was _the_ Tracer.

Lena seemed to pick up on Alex's mood change so she added:

"Hey, you'll be fine! You'll meet loads of new people there and I'm sure they'll be a lot better company than me. Besides, I'll visit campus between missions so you'll see me around. And there's Amélie who you'll meet too. She…can be nice."

Lena paused before adding the last bit, making Alex raise her eyebrow amusedly at the woman before asking:

" _Can_ be nice? You're really selling her."

Both women laughed at this, Lena ruffling Alex's hair again before adding in a cheeky tone:

"Well, she's nice to me."

Lena followed the statement with a wink, making Alex push her away over dramatically, replying in mock horror:

"GROSS! I don't want to know, jeez!"

* * *

"Why'd the guy at the ticket booth stare daggers into you?" Lena asked curiously as she sat down next to Alex in the quiet cinema, handing her an obscenely large bucket of popcorn.

Alex laughed in a hushed tone.

This was Alex's favourite place to come in Bradford. It was an older cinema, built before the Omnic Crisis. Alex read that it was modelled after ancient Greek buildings so all of the rooms were kind of rounded: a semi-circle around the massive screen. The seats were huge and comfy, a deep red that reminded Alex of the theatres she saw in old movies. Alex like this place because if felt like it had history. She'd particularly enjoyed learning about ancient history, and for some reason being in an older building like this one kind of felt like she was experiencing part of its history. Not a lot of newer cinemas kept the vintage style like this one had.

The aesthetic was only part of the reason Alex loved coming here though. She was what Daishin called a 'movie buff'. Alex loved films. She was particularly interested in the classics, which often screened on special days at this particular cinema. Apart from that, she enjoyed adventure, fantasy and, much to Daishin's chagrin, horror. Alex figured she'd always had a dark side to her, maybe that's why she enjoyed that particular genre so much. After Lena's reaction to the last horror film Alex had subjected her to back in Kings Row though, Alex opted for an action adventure this time. If she were being completely honest she didn't really care what they were going to watch. It was her last night in Bradford for who knows how long, and she really just wanted to show Lena this place, one of her places. The thought of being here with Lena sent a flurry of emotions through Alex. She was excited and nervous and happy all at once. Alex felt stupid for even thinking it, she knew Lena had a partner and didn't see her that way, but the optimistic side of her felt that this was almost like a dat-

"Oi!" Lena whispered loudly, poking Alex in the side playfully and giggling.

"You still alive in there?" She added.

Alex blinked. 'Oh shit! She asked you a question and you've just been gawking at her you idiot!' Alex couldn't even remember what Lena had asked her. She'd been too happy, caught up in all her thoughts and emotions that she totally blanked. Lena seemed to have that effect on her a lot.

"Uh. What was the question?" Alex asked a little embarrassed, the dim lights in the cinema thankfully hiding her flushing cheeks a little.

Lena giggled happily before replying: "I asked you about the guy who sold us the tickets. He looked like you ran over his cat!" Lena joked, laughing again.

Now Alex remembered. Lucas. He worked at the ticket booth and as an usher at the cinema. Alex was notorious for sneaking into the cinema and catching a 'free screening'. The place was old and Alex had worked out it's secret passages when she was 12. Let's just say she didn't pay for many screenings after that. Only if Daishin brought her, and tonight while she was with Lena. Daishin hadn't really like movies too much so Alex didn't pester him about it too often. She was pretty sure he knew about her breaking in too, he was probably banking on her getting caught so she'd be spooked. He clearly didn't know her well enough. Alex may have been notorious for sneaking in, but she was even more so for never getting caught…officially. Lucas always caught glimpses of her in the dimmed cinema rooms, but she'd be long gone before he could ever get to the lights or a security guard. It was like a little game of cat and mouse they played, one that Alex deviously enjoyed and didn't plan on losing. And she hadn't. Lucas could throw her all the death glares he wanted, he couldn't do shit without actually catching her in the act.

Alex smiled devilishly at that thought. She enjoyed the game, enjoyed the power it gave her. Man, she really did have a sadistic side.

"Let's just say I…take advantage of his incompetence." Alex said carefully.

She wasn't sure if she should exactly tell Lena, an Overwatch agent, that she essentially broke in to the place on numerous occasions. It was a crime after all. Did that make Alex a criminal? Alex briefly mused at the idea of the esteemed Overwatch potentially recruiting a criminal.

She looked over at Lena, and something glistened in her eyes at Alex's response, and Alex was pretty sure she saw right through her.

Lena smirked in a similar devilish way that Alex had moments ago, leaning back in her seat and replying: "I broke into my neighbour's pub when I was 17. Got so drunk I passed out and woke up to him and the bobbies the next morning."

Alex stared at Lena in disbelief. Lena Oxton. _The_ Tracer. Hero of Overwatch. A teen delinquent and drunk? The idea was so preposterous to Alex that she suddenly burst out laughing, choking on her mouthful of popcorn ungracefully.

A harsh "Shhhh!" came from a few seats back as the lights completely faded to black to indicate the starting of the film.

Alex choked out a: "Sorry." Before breathing deeply to calm herself down.

Lena was just sitting there, a smug grin pulling at her lips and Alex almost lost her shit all over again.

"You? _You_ were a delinquent?" Alex teased in a hushed voice.

Lena chuckled quietly, looking at the girl with a proud sense of slyness glistening in her eyes.

"Not every hero is a knight in shining armour y'know?" Lena stated teasingly.

The two women continued to giggle amusedly as the opening sequence of the film started playing, earning a few more angry shushes.

Alex didn't really care though. The film in the background was just white noise, and she had a feeling they wouldn't be paying much attention to it. Alex desperately wanted to hear the full story behind Lena's drunken escapade. It suddenly occurred to Alex that she had always placed people like Lena onto a pedestal. The heroes of Overwatch seemed so out of reach, a force of good that someone like her could never hope to come close to. The more time she spent with Lena though, the more Alex realised that they were just people. Amazing yes, but flawed people, just like her. The more Alex learned about Lena, the more she felt like maybe; just maybe she could find her place with Overwatch. Maybe they'd be her new reason to live.


	14. Chapter 14

_Alex stared into the familiar orbs and suddenly felt like a hand had constricted tightly around her chest as she realised they were not staring back at her. The once warm, and comforting blue was now cold and lifeless, the glint of life as absent as Alex's ability to breathe in that moment._

_Alex poked at her mother's unmoving body, her dry throat and vocal chords barely able to push out a hoarse: "Mama."_

_Her mother remained still. But Alex had known that she would, like she had experienced this before, like some kind of horrendous déjà vu that kept playing over in her mind. She tried to scream, but nothing more than a whimper escaped her dry lips._

_Suddenly Alex became aware of a second presence in the room. Yes, that sense of déjà vu playing over in her mind again. Flashes of cold blue and piercing yellow. Alex brought her hands up to her face to shield herself from what she knew was inevitable. She knew how this played out even without having experienced it yet, she knew. The pain. That woman. The darkness. She couldn't experience it, not again. She tried to run, tried to break free of this vicious cycle but her legs wouldn't move, as if not responding to her own wishes. She looked at her legs, shocked to see her worn jeans and leather boots in place of her night gown. Something wasn't right. She wasn't right._

_Alex looked over at the cabinet to her left, her eyes widening when she saw the reflection of her 17 year old self in the low lighting of her childhood lounge room. She looked back to where her parents lay only to realise that they were gone, the thick dark substance that pooled around her body the only reminder that they were ever even there._

_A familiar sickeningly sweet scent filled her nostrils and Alex had to fight back the urge to vomit, the scent becoming overbearing, suffocating. Suddenly someone was kneeling in front of her, and Alex knew that those piercing golden orbs would be awaiting her. She tried to look away, but a cold hand grabbed her chin, forcing her to stare her own death in the face. Alex slammed her eyes shut and held them that way, but the golden glare pushed its way through. It didn't matter that Alex had her eyes closed, the memory was always there, vivid in her mind._

_Just when Alex thought that the woman's presence would become unbearable, she felt a stinging pain in the back of her neck. She knew what this meant. The darkness. Alex shot her eyes open in horror, fighting against whatever force was willing her body to sleep. Alex had never been afraid of the dark, but this darkness was different, and it scared her beyond belief._

_The golden orbs kept their intense gaze trained on Alex as she began to slip into unconsciousness, her will giving way to powerful forces beyond her control. She felt those familiar, haunting words echo through her mind as she lost herself completely to the void:_

_"Sweet dreams, chérie."_

* * *

Alex jolted from her sleep, being saved from falling off her seat completely by the seatbelt wrapped around her waist.

She gasped violently for air, suddenly feeling like she'd almost suffocated only moments before. She reached frantically for the water bottle tucked into the pouch behind the seat in front of her, opening it hastily and gulping down a few mouthfuls to quench her sudden insane thirst.

After a few moments of deep breathing, Alex calmed herself down enough to notice the hushed chuckles that were coming from her left. She glanced over, noticing a small group of people around her own age across the aisle from her. One of the guys was glancing in her direction, very unsubtly if Alex was being honest, and him and his mates were whispering to each other and chuckling…annoyingly. Alex groaned inwardly. She supposed assholes were a universal commodity.

Not really feeling like starting shit on a moving plane mid-flight, Alex decided it'd be best to ignore the douchebags across the aisle and instead focused on glancing out the window, collecting her own thoughts.

She'd had that dream again. 'Shit.' She thought to herself. She'd been doing so well, the last time she'd had it was on the train to Kings Row. For some reason the naïve part of Alex hoped that it'd just never come back after she met Lena and Zenyatta. Wishful thinking. It always seemed to come back to haunt her when she was feeling anxious or nervous. She'd been nervous then, and if she was being completely honest she was nervous now too. She was on her way to a place she'd never been before, and she was going there alone.

Sadly Lena couldn't join her on her journey, being caught up with her own mission for Overwatch, and Alex didn't want to be a baby and ask Zenyatta to come with her. So here she was, a 17 year old girl from Bradford on her way to Harmony USA to compete in the entrance exam to get into the esteemed Overwatch Academy.

Alex couldn't deny that the trip had begun to make her nervous. It was all so new and she felt odd not having Daishin by her side for something as huge as this. She just hoped he'd at least be proud of her. Alex smiled as she looked out the window, land beginning to come into view as the plane lost altitude. Somehow she knew he would be.

An arrogant scoff followed by louder laughing and shushes broke her out of her little moment, Alex again turning her attention to the small group across the aisle. Apparently they still found her little jolt awake amusing. Alex had tried to ignore them but they were seriously getting on her nerves now. She clicked her tongue in agitation, and was just about to give them a piece of mind when the cool sensation of the object in her hands gave her another idea. Smirking, Alex threw the half full bottle of water with superb precision at the back of one of the guy's heads, the one who had been looking at her and laughing before. The impact made a thud sound, before it bounced off his head and hit the floor. The high pitched squeal of the young man followed. He looked around angrily, his eyes boring into Alex. Alex looked around in feign surprise, raising her shoulders awkwardly and mouthing an exaggerated 'I don't know?'

The young man was about to stand up and say something when the omnic flight attendant appeared in the aisle.

"Is there a problem here?" She asked in a kind tone. She looked at the annoyed young man but the question had clearly been targeted at Alex as well.

While the flight attendant was looking at the young man, Alex raised her eyebrow at him, smiling smugly from behind her, causing him to grind his teeth.

"No. No problem here." He said in a strained voice, before planting himself fully back into the seat, turning away from them both.

"Good." The flight attendant stated happily, before adding: "Please fasten your seatbelts, we will be beginning our descent now."

The omnic glanced at Alex for a moment, as if judging her likelihood to try anything else. Alex just gave her biggest puppy-dog eyes and shrugged her shoulders, making the omnic sigh before floating away to inform the other passengers of their decent.

Alex leaned back into her seat and smiled smugly at her victory, however small it was. When the flight attendant was far enough away that she was sure she wouldn't hear, Alex muttered under her breath, just loud enough for the guy across the aisle to hear:

"Jackass…"

* * *

Alex had high tailed it out of the airport as quick as she could once her plane landed and she'd gotten through customs and collected her suitcase. The place had been overflowing with people and Alex had started to feel claustrophobic. Besides the fact that she hated being in big crowds though, Alex was also kind of on a schedule. Her plane had arrived around 11am at Harmony airport, and she had to get through customs, get to the safe house, dump her luggage, and then get to the medical examination for the academy by 3pm.

Due to the…last minute nature of her decision to enrol at Overwatch Academy, she and Lena had kind of had to crowd a lot of things into a small timeframe; otherwise she wouldn't have chosen to arrive in the country the same day as the medical examination.

Alex had figured she'd just be crashing at a motel until she, hopefully, was accepted into the academy in a few weeks upon which she'd be living in the dorms there. It's not like Alex was broke, she could have afforded to stay in a crumby motel for a few weeks, but she couldn't deny it would have cut into her funds a little too much for her liking. She hadn't even mentioned it back in Bradford, but the ever caring Lena didn't even hesitate to offer her one of Overwatch's safe houses for lodging until she moved into the dorms, and Lena was _very_ adamant that she would make it in.

Again, Alex felt guilty for using Overwatch's facilities without officially being a member herself yet, but she couldn't deny the appeal of free, and not to mention safe, accommodation. The only thing she'd need to worry about was food, which was a super good deal in her opinion. So, despite her reservations, Alex had agreed to Lena's offer.

Unlike Zenyatta, who used pre-historic paper maps for directions, Lena had loaded the coordinates of the safe house into Alex's phone. She'd also gone to the liberty of installing Alex's details in the system so that their AI would let her in. At least that spared Alex the awkwardness of looking like some shady criminal loitering around an abandoned house.

Alex's taxi pulled off a block away from the safe house's location. Now that Alex knew the 'company' Zenyatta worked for was Overwatch, for some reason she felt discrepancy was needed when dealing with the locations of these safe houses. It did mean that she had to drag her heavy ass suitcase a block away, but Alex figured it was a fair trade for peace of mind.

Once the taxi drove off, Alex began towards the house. The area was out in the suburbs, much like the one in Kings Row. This suburb seemed more, developed though. There were a lot more houses here that were actually complete, and Alex could even see a few people around where in Kings Row it took a few blocks before you'd see anyone.

Alex's mouth fell open slightly when she stopped in front of the safe house. She'd been expecting another run down, falling at the seams, abandoned house like the one in Kings Row. Or at the very least maybe a house that looked like it was under construction. Instead stood a decently sized, well maintained two story house, the kind of place you'd imagine middle class families to live.

"Damn." Alex said, slightly impressed at the house before her.

Lena had told her this safe house was newer, which made sense seeing as Harmony as a city was only a few years old itself, having blown up out of nowhere when the academy was established.

Alex pulled her phone out of her jacket pocket. 12.55pm. She still had a couple of hours before she had to be at the clinic for her examination.

Alex pulled her annoyingly large suitcase up the steps leading to the front door. As she approached, she wasn't really sure what to do though. Instinctually, she knocked, not really sure if she was expecting anything to happen or not. After a moment of nothing happening, Alex figured there must be a key that Lena had forgotten to mention. Just as she was about to reach for her phone to dial the bubbly woman, the sound of mechanical latches could be heard from within the door and a small pad poked out of the right side of the door. A pleasant female AI voice suddenly spoke up:

"Identification please."

Alex glanced around the street, wondering if anyone saw the advanced technology and thought such security was odd for a mere suburban house. Nobody seemed to notice though so she looked back at the pad, remembering what to do from her time in Kings Row. She placed her right hand on the pad before stating:

"Name: Alex Cross."

The glowing pad beeped before turning green, and more mechanical sounds were heard behind the door before it automatically swung open.

"Welcome back, Miss Cross." The pleasant AI spoke up again.

Alex considered for a moment, before dragging her suitcase through the front door, it automatically swinging shut behind her. From what Alex could see from the hallway alone, the house looked quite clean and up kept, modern furnishings filling in the various rooms. Alex wasn't quite sure if there was a basement area that served as the actual safe house like in Kings Row, and was just about to explore when the AI spoke up again.

"On the second floor you will find the sleeping quarters. Feel free to make use of any of the rooms. There are currently no other agents residing here at the moment."

Alex raised her eyebrow, slightly confused. The second floor? Did that mean that this actual house was the safe house? Could she ask? Was this AI responsive? 'Well, one way to find out.' Alex thought to herself.

"Second floor? So, no secret basement rooms or anything?" Alex asked jokingly, not sure if the AI would even respond let alone have a sense of humour.

"This particular safe house is located above ground. It is one of our newer, functioning instalments. Whilst being above ground, this safe house is just as secure as some of our more secluded and…barbaric underground facilities."

Alex swore she could hear humour in the AI's voice at that last part, which made her chuckle slightly.

"Good to know." She replied, still chuckling.

"Do you require any further assistance Miss Cross?" The AI spoke up again.

"Uhh, no. T-Thanks, uhh?" Alex stuttered, not sure what she should call the pleasant sounding AI.

"Athena." The AI stated simply, seemingly picking up on Alex's question without her having to ask it.

"Thanks Athena." Alex said genuinely.

After what felt like years Alex finally managed to drag her exceedingly heavy suitcase up the stairs, panting lightly at the energy it seemed to take out of her. She was already tired from the flight though, so any small task was enough to make her groan in protest at this point.

Not wanting to exert any extra energy at that particular time, Alex just opened the first door to her left once on the second floor, hoping it would be a bedroom. She sighed in relief when she opened the door to reveal two sets of bunk beds in a medium sized room, smaller than the room she'd had in Kings Row, but still significant and not at all cramped.

She dragged her suitcase in, dumping it at the foot of the closest bed, and inelegantly flopped down onto the bottom bunk, face-planting into the pillow. The bed felt comfortable, more so than the one in King Row.

"I guess they upped their game." Alex said to herself jokingly.

She rolled onto her back, inspecting the room. Unlike the room in Kings Row which had been underground, this room was on the second floor and had a large window at the end, the curtains currently drawn, but Alex was excited at the prospect of a view. There was a dresser and wardrobe, and each bunk bed had a bedside table. Like the items of furniture Alex had seen downstairs, everything had a modern feel to it, like it was all new. Somehow it didn't quite feel as homey as the Kings Row safe house; there weren't as many posters or photos or anything covering the walls here, but it was comfortable, and more importantly Alex reminded herself: it was free.

Alex rolled back onto her stomach, wanting nothing more than to just sleep for the next few days straight, somehow she felt like she could do it. The plane trip had exhausted her. Unfortunately Alex couldn't just ditch out on her appointment today though, it was too important. Alex lifted her shirt up and sniffed before wrinkling her nose slightly. She needed a shower. Her clothes smelled musty from sleeping in them on the plane and she felt a little sweaty from her walk here too. This room didn't have an ensuite attached but Alex assumed there'd be a bathroom on the floor.

She groaned loudly into the pillow before pushing herself up to go and find a bathroom.

* * *

Alex found the clinic easily enough and was surprised to find herself with about half an hour to spare before her appointment. Not wanting to risk getting lost if she wandered off and as a result being late, she thought it best to enter the clinic now and simply wait for her allocated time.

The clinic was small, located a few blocks away from the academy which Alex had yet to see up close. As Alex stepped through automatic doors she was greeted by a pleasant omnic, tapping away at their keyboard behind a reception desk just to the right of the entrance.

Alex stepped up to the desk and opened her mouth to speak but was cut off before she could make any sound.

"Miss Cross." The omnic more stated rather than asked, which threw Alex off just a bit.

"U-uh. Yes, that's me." She replied awkwardly.

The omnic typed something rapidly into their touchscreen keyboard before looking up at Alex and gesturing across the hall:

"Please take a seat in our waiting room. The examiner will be with you after their current appointment."

"Thanks." Alex replied, slightly less awkwardly than her previous response, but still a little taken aback at the fact that she hadn't really had to speak much.

She made her way over to the small waiting room and sat down on what she knew would be an uncomfortable and stiff chair. She was right. It was no secret that Alex didn't particularly enjoy being in hospitals or medical centres and she suddenly regretted coming in so early. She briefly wondered if it'd be weird if she got up and waited outside. Reasoning won over though and she decided it'd be best to stay inside so the examiner wouldn't have to come looking for her.

It wasn't very often that Alex came to medical centres or hospitals by her own choosing. If it were up to her she'd never step foot in the cold, sterile places. Unfortunately for her though, her…reckless lifestyle could often lead to serious injury, so Daishin and even Lena had been forced to practically drag her in for treatment. This was the first time Alex had willingly brought herself to such a place.

'Well, technically this isn't by _my_ choice.' Alex supposed. If this medical examination was optional you could bet your sweet ass Alex would have opted to skip. But nonetheless, the medical examinations were a requirement to get into the academy, and Alex saw the logic in it. It made sense for an organisation like Overwatch to want to know that their potential recruits were healthy. She imagined they wouldn't want people collapsing out in the field due to medical issues. So here she was: in one of her least favourite places in the world, about to be examined, a process she figured would be as unpleasant as the locale.

Alex distracted herself by studying the various medical posters and framed artworks that scattered the walls of the small waiting room and reception area. There were a lot of pictures of fruit. 'Why is it always fruit?' She wondered. Excessive amounts of fruit related artwork aside, the room was quite bland. Apart from the Overwatch logo sprayed across the front desk, nothing else in the rooms really eluded to the fact that this was a facility belonging to the biggest military organisation in the world. It was kind of underwhelming really, and Alex briefly wondered why the medical examinations weren't held at the academy itself.

After what felt like years, the door to Alex's left automatically opened and a boy around Alex's age stepped through and approached the front desk, exchanging conversation with the receptionist casually. Alex deduced he was a potential recruit like her, probably the last appointment before herself. She hadn't seen his face clearly when he stepped out, but the way he was dressed suddenly made Alex wonder if she should have dressed up for the occasion. She looked at his white button up shirt and pressed black pants, and then down to her own clothes: the gym clothes Lena had bought her, her worn white sneakers, and a blue hoodie. She frowned. It was just a medical examination right? Surely there was no need for pressed clothes and gelled hair. Alex frowned at her last thought. She hadn't even brushed her hair after she showered and she assumed it probably looked a little on the tangled side.

She sighed audibly. 'Well, too late now.' She thought to herself. Alex had never particularly cared for formalities anyway. They'd be testing her health, not her fashion sense.

The automatic door swung open again and an omnic floated half way out, calling out "Miss Cross."

Alex stood up promptly, eager to get all of this over and done with and get back to the safe house to sleep for the next week before the entrance exam. Well, at least that's what she _wanted_ to do. There's no way her nerves would allow her to lax that much though, she was sure of it.

* * *

Most of the first half of the medical examination was pretty routine stuff. The omnic examiner tested all of the basics like blood pressure, heart rate, sugar levels…etc. All of the boring medical stuff that didn't really mean much to Alex. They also got her to perform a few physical activities to demonstrate her endurance and fitness level, varying from sit-ups, to star jumps and push-ups. The physical stuff was easy for Alex, and she kind of felt good doing it since she hadn't had a chance to train since leaving Bradford. As she was finishing up her physical activities and had broken a light sweat, Alex suddenly remembered the boy before her and laughed inwardly at the thought of him having to do all of this in essentially a suit, sweating into his expensive white shirt.

'Looks like I was better dressed after all.' She mused to herself.

At the examiner's gesture, Alex sat back up on the small bed in the centre of the room, and was offered a small bottle of water. Alex gladly accepted, taking a few gulps to cool down from her small workout.

She took a satisfying gasp, before asking the examiner perhaps a little too eagerly:

"Are we done now? Am I good to leave?"

The examiner pressed a few buttons on their touchscreen tablet before responding:

"Not quite. A nurse will be in now to ask some routine questions, and then your examination will be complete Miss Cross."

Before Alex even finished rolling her eyes, the omnic examiner had floated out of the room without another word.

Alex looked after the omnic expectantly.

"Soooo, do I just wait here orrrrr…?" She said awkwardly, not quite sure if she was meant to follow them or stay seated on the bed.

She was just about to stand up to follow the omnic when a smooth Latin American accent greeted her from behind.

"Hola."

Alex jumped slightly at the sudden voice when she had thought she was alone in the room. She whipped around to see young woman, perhaps Lena's age or a little older, leaning casually against a bench behind the bed, holding the same tablet Alex swore she just saw the omnic examiner leave with only a minute ago. Alex blinked a few times in confusion. How had the woman even gotten into the room without her noticing. There was only one door and Alex was sure she hadn't looked away from it long enough for someone to slip in without her noticing, especially someone as interesting as the woman standing before her.

Apart from the typical white lab coat often seen on medical professionals, Alex could still make out the striking purple clothing the woman was wearing underneath, as well as her seemingly pointed and sharp fingernails tapping away seamlessly at the tablet in front of her. The most striking feature however was her bizarre haircut, bright purple tips on one side of her hair and the other half shaved to reveal what looked like circuit boards running over her head. Alex blinked again, her eyebrows furrowing into a frown. This woman was clearly the nurse that the examiner had mentioned, but something about her appearance and demeanour made her seem out of place, but Alex couldn't quite place her finger on what.

Finally finding her voice after being startled, Alex stuttered out:

"U-uh. How did you? W-when did you come-"

"Alex Cross." The woman suddenly spoke up again, looking up at Alex for the first time.

She casually made her way around the bed so she was standing where the omnic examiner had been only minutes before, never breaking eye contact with Alex.

There was a glint in her eyes that made Alex nervous for some reason. It was…mischievous? Alex didn't have much time to dwell on that thought before the woman was speaking again.

"Although according to your record you weren't always Alex Cross were you?" The woman asked in a casual tone, although Alex suddenly felt like she was being interrogated.

"N-no." She replied simply.

The woman focused back on the tablet in front of her, typing at an inhuman pace and scanning over several documents before pausing, tapping one of her long pointed fingernails to her lips, contemplating.

"No records before age 5. Hmm. La chica sin identidad." She mused out loud.

Alex wasn't fluent in Spanish, but Daishin had taught her the basics of a few languages besides English and she knew enough to know the woman was talking about her. The mentioning of her past was making her slightly uncomfortable too, making her shift in her seat a few times.

After a moment of seemingly ignoring Alex, the woman looked back at her and chuckled.

"You know, there's not much I don't know about anyone. Consider me intrigued little dove." She said with that mischievous glint in her eye that Alex had noticed before.

Alex frowned at the older woman at the use of the nickname. Alex wasn't particularly good at reading people's emotions but she was generally pretty good at reading people in the sense of what kind of person they were, and Alex had met all kinds. She'd never encountered someone quite like the woman in front of her though, and it made her feel slightly uneasy. At the very least, she didn't trust the woman in front of her and she sure as hell didn't want to talk about that part of her past, so she simply asked:

"The examiner said you had some routine questions to ask me?"

Alex was pretty sure the woman's interest in her past had nothing to do with the 'routine questions' the omnic examiner had mentioned, so Alex simply stared at the other woman, waiting for them to move on so she could get the hell out of there.

The woman seemed to consider Alex for a moment, before a wide grin spread across her face and she chuckled lowly.

"I suppose I do." She stated plainly, giving in.

It was all pretty routine stuff:

"Do you have any allergies?"

"Any medical conditions?"

"Any family history of medical issues?"

Alex simply lied at the last question. The act was second nature to her now, getting her out of more conflicts than she could count when she was younger. Daishin had always tried to encourage her to be honest, and most of the time she was honest with him at least. The same couldn't be said for others.

As for the family history, Alex honestly didn't know. She didn't know anything about her family before Daishin, fragments of memories of her life before that night the only reminder that her parents existed at all. Alex had been healthy up until now though so she just figured lying and saying "no" was easier than explaining that she didn't know because her parents were actually murdered when she was 5 and she also had barely any memories of them at all, let alone any medical conditions they may have had.

Lying was definitely easier.

The next question caught Alex off guard.

"Any biological enhancements or robotic body parts?" The nurse asked in a bored tone, tapping her long fingernails against the tablet in her hands.

Alex opened her mouth to speak, an automatic "no" almost falling from her lips when she paused. The thought hadn't even crossed her mind that this would be something the academy wanted or needed to know. The logical side of her mind could see the benefits of a military organisation wanting to know about such enhancements as it would give their agents a potential edge or advantage in the field. Emotionally however, Alex wasn't sure she was ready for everyone to suddenly just 'know' about her mechanical eye.

She was sure that if anywhere were to be accepting of omnics and robotically enhanced humans, then Harmony would certainly be the place. No matter how accepting people seemed though, Alex could never seem to shake the feeling of shame at the thought of other people knowing. It made her different. In the eyes of some it made her not human. It didn't help that sometimes Alex herself thought it made her a freak or a monster. She hated catching glimpses of her empty eye socket when she had to clean it.

Alex furrowed her eyebrows, considering.

After a moment, she simply replied:

"No."

The nurse suddenly stopped tapping her fingernails, smirking as she looked up from the tablet and at Alex. Alex avoided making direct eye-contact with the woman. Maybe her hesitation had made the lie obvious? Maybe Alex could just pass it off as not understanding the question and taking a moment to figure out what it meant?

Alex looked up at the other woman, slightly taken aback by her intense gaze and devilish smirk, but she held her ground, staring back, not wavering.

The two women sat like that for a few moments, eyeing each other in a silent stand-off.

The nurse smirked even wider, asking in an amused tone:

"No?"

Without hesitation this time, Alex simply replied:

"No."

Alex could see it in the other woman's eyes. She knew she was lying. Alex wasn't sure how, but the cunning woman in front of her knew about her eye, Alex could tell by the way she was staring more at her right eye than her left.

There was something off about this woman though, and while she made Alex feel uneasy, Alex also got the sense that the woman wouldn't rat her out. She seemed like the kind of person who enjoyed secrets, which made Alex wondere why a company like Overwatch would employ someone as seemingly shady as the woman sitting in front of her. It suddenly occurred to Alex that maybe this woman _didn't_ work for Overwatch.

Feeling smug all of a sudden, Alex asked:

"What exactly is your job title in Overwatch?"

The woman leaned back onto the bench behind her casually, chuckling smoothly before replying suggestively:

"I was wrong about you. You're more like a fox than a dove."

Alex frowned again at the use of pet names, but stared blankly at the woman nonetheless, not backing down.

"Let's just say I work more on a freelance basis." The woman added smoothly.

Alex narrowed her eyes. This woman was good at dodging questions.

She pushed herself off the bench, taking a few steps towards Alex.

"You know, the world is full of secrets. A lot of people associate negative connotations with secrets, but I think they're fantastic. A secret can be a powerful thing, but it can also bring friends closer together, wouldn't you agree?" She asked smoothly, raising the tablet up to Alex's eye level.

Alex looked at the screen in front of her, the questionnaire they'd been going through displayed plainly. It took Alex only a second to notice what the nurse had intended her to see, the checkbox for 'no' filled out under the: "Any biological enhancements or robotic body parts?" question. The nurse, although at this point Alex was almost certain the woman in front of her wasn't a nurse at all, was showing Alex that she was willing to withhold Alex's secret from the official Overwatch Academy records. She implied that it was out of an act of friendship, but Alex was not an idiot. She knew the devious connotations behind the woman's implications. She wasn't sure what a 'friendship' with this woman would entail, or what she might try to get out of Alex at a later point, but for right now the thought of her secret being able to remain a secret was clouding any other argument. It was selfish; Alex knew that, but sadly the selfish side of her won against logic this time.

Alex looked up at the woman, her mind made up, and the woman must have sensed her resignation to the unofficial deal, because she smirked even wider than before if it were even possible. She stepped forward again and leaned down to Alex's eye level; stopping mere inches away from Alex's face, making Alex's breath hitch in her throat at the older woman's uncomfortable closeness. She looked Alex dead in her mechanical eye and said in her smooth Latin American accent:

"I'm glad we see _eye to eye,_ friend."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> La chica sin identidad = The girl with no identity


	15. Chapter 15

Alex panted heavily as she retracted her gauntlet's blade from the chest of the drone in front of her. The machine slumped lifelessly above her, placing an uncomfortable weight on her own chest as she lay on the ground below it. Taking a deep breath, Alex pushed at the drone's chest and managed to manoeuvre her way out from underneath the now damaged pile of metal.

She sighed. From an engineering standpoint, Alex couldn't help but think it was such a waste of technology to destroy the drone in such a barbaric way. She'd managed to simply disable a lot of the weaker drones she'd encountered throughout the maze, knowing enough about robotics and basic structure to guess where most of their control panels had been. Unfortunately as she'd gotten closer to the centre of the maze, the drones had become stronger and cleverer, the one resting beside her now the last in a string of those she'd had to cut down a little more forcefully.

Alex sighed again. There was no use in dwelling on that now. Alex was on the clock, and she was sure the first of the recruits would be reaching the centre any minute now. She stood up, stretching out her limbs to make sure she wasn't injured, and inspected her gauntlets to ensure they were fully functioning after her latest scuffle with one of the drones. She hadn't been expecting to run into many drones on the roofs, so she was taken off guard when one creeped up on her as she was preparing to grapple to the next rooftop. Her fall to the ground had been less than graceful, and she was honestly surprised, and _super_ lucky, that she hadn't sustained any injuries.

The gauntlets she'd snagged from the weapons table during their debriefing seemed to be functioning correctly, the retractable blades situated on the topside of the gauntlets extending and retracting without delay. Alex hadn't been sure about the gauntlets at first. When they had offered the recruits weapons during the debriefing for the mission, Alex had considered not taking any at all, figuring it would mostly be guns on offer, which didn't really fit with her fighting style which focused heavily on agility and the use of her fists. She had been pleasantly surprised to see a range of weapons and devices presented to them though, and while a little reluctant at first, as soon as she'd seen the black gauntlets sitting amongst the various guns and swords; Alex couldn't deny that she was greatly intrigued by them. Not only did the gauntlets increase the power of her punches, they also had durable retractable blades, which as it turned out had become very useful in taking down the stronger drones. The best thing about the gauntlets though was that despite being made of a durable, black metal, they were very flexible and super lightweight. Alex wasn't quite sure what they were made from, probably something military grade she assumed, but she was determined to find out after the exam was over.

With everything appearing to be in working order Alex fired the grappling hook from her left gauntlet to the edge of the roof she'd intended to land on before her impromptu scurry with the drone. Once lodged, Alex tested to see if it was secure, before retracting the cable to spring herself to the rooftop. Alex had always been particularly good at scaling buildings and running between rooftops, having escaped both bullies and the local authorities on numerous occasions back in Bradford, and after their debriefing on today's mission Alex had almost immediately decided that she would make use of these skills to travel mostly by rooftop for both speed and to avoid enemies. It helped that the structure of the buildings within the maze was similar to the structure of the buildings back home. Alex had been delighted at the discovery that the gauntlets she'd chosen also contained grappling hooks on both wrists. It had cut down a lot of climbing time and it had meant she had been able to jump longer distances between buildings.

Alex straightened herself on the rooftop and stepped towards the opposite ledge. She gazed down into the small clearing before her, which housed 26 untouched totems sitting contently on their pedestals. Alex smirked. She was the first to arrive.

* * *

_Alex stood in a medium sized room with about 20 other people around her age. A week had passed since her medical examination and today was the day of her Overwatch Academy entrance exam. She'd spent the majority of her week in Harmony training, hoping that it would pay off in some manner today. She wasn't really sure what would be required of them today if she was being completely honest, but she couldn't deny the streak of nerves bubbling under her skin at the prospect of some healthy competition._

_From what little Lena had told Alex about the entrance exams, they involved a challenge of some kind, which meant the possibility of competing against fellow recruits. Among Alex's other admirable qualities like stubbornness and occasional recklessness, she was also incredibly competitive. She vividly remembered being suspended from 3rd grade for punching a boy in her class in the face, knocking him out during the school's weekly sport just so she could take the ball from him. Alex smirked at the memory. That was before she'd met Daishin. She briefly wondered if he thought his training of her had gone to waste. He'd told her it was to control her anger issues and hot-headedness, but Alex wondered if it had really helped at all. If anything he'd just given her the ability to act on her recklessness with more refined skill. Alex giggled at that thought and clutched the vintage looking bronze key hanging around the silver chain on her neck. It was the key to Daishin's, no: her home._

_Daishin had always had an appreciation for history, which was perhaps why Alex enjoyed the subject so much, and so much of his house and furnishings were styled that way. Alex really liked the intricate curled design of the house key which Daishin had crafted himself. It was the only sentimental object Alex had brought with her to America, and while it felt kind of corny, Alex felt like a piece of Daishin and her home would always be with her this way, so she forgave the sappy and sentimental side of herself, just this once._

_Alex was drawn from her thoughts by the laughter coming from the biggest crowd of recruits in the centre of the room. The large group were being by far the loudest in the room, and Alex rolled her eyes at the way they were goofing around._

_Alex had already observed the other recruits in the room as soon as she'd entered: sussing out the competition and deciding on who she'd side with and against depending on varying scenarios. Alex sighed. She really hoped the exam wouldn't include team work. Not only did she have the social skills of a baked potato, she also hated the idea of having to pick up other people's slack._

_There were a few quiet people scattered around the room like herself, keeping to themselves and quietly observing the others: no doubt dreading the idea of teamwork as much as Alex. If it came down to forced teamwork Alex figured she'd rather have the calm and collected few as her allies rather than her competition._

_Then there was the large group in the centre where most of the talking was happening, consisting of maybe 7-9 people and omnics. There were a few people here who had obvious mechanical body parts and enhancements, and Alex tried not to dwell on the fact that she'd concealed her own. She felt guilty about lying during her medical exam and even more so for not mentioning the suspicious nurse to Lena when they'd spoken on the phone. Alex figured she'd tell her eventually. Or would she? She hadn't quite decided yet._

_As Alex scanned the rest of the large group, her eyes stopped on who appeared to be at the centre of the group and demanding the most attention. He had clearly established himself as the 'alpha' of that particular group, and Alex smirked when she recognised the pompous looking boy she'd seen the other day at the medical centre. She'd only seen his face for a second, but she recognised his slick gelled blonde hair and the arrogant way he carried himself instantly. At least he wasn't wearing a suit today. Instead he wore what looked like a tailor made combat suit in red and black. Alex could feel the 'rich boy' aura rolling off him in waves. Alex scoffed inwardly and smirked. If they were competing against each other today she really hoped she'd get the opportunity to kick his ass._

_The door in which the recruits had entered suddenly swung open again, gaining the immediate attention of the entire room as the massive figure stepped in. It was hard not to recognise Overwatch's massive genetically modified agent, who just so happened to be the dean of Overwatch Academy. The massive gorilla calmly made his way to the centre table as the jocks dispersed around him, and everyone seemed to fall silent, awaiting instruction._

_"Hello recruits, and welcome to Overwatch Academy." The gorilla introduced pleasantly in his deep, booming voice._

_"As I'm sure you're all aware, my name is Winston and I am the dean, the overseer of this academy. You have all gathered here today to take part in the academy's entrance exam, leading you down a path to becoming tomorrow's beacons of hope. I am here today both to welcome you, and to explain to you the details of your mission." He added, the word 'mission' causing a small stir of excitement to roll through the recruits, Alex feeling the butterflies rise inside her as well._

_"The entrance exam you will be participating in today is designed to give us an idea of your skills and capabilities, as well as seeing how you react to unexpected circumstances. If you have made it this far then you know that this academy only accepts the best of the best. You are the last group of recruits to be tested for our next semester, and of the 26 of you, less than half will pass and be accepted into Overwatch Academy."_

_Winston paused._

_Another small murmur passed through Alex's fellow recruits and this information did cause Alex's nerves to rise a little. She kept her face neutral though, not giving her fellow recruits the satisfaction of seeing her vulnerable especially if they were to be competing against each other._

_When the group hushed down to silence, Winston continued._

_"Let's get onto it then. Athena, if you would."_

_"Yes Winston." Athena replied politely, the screen above Winston popping to life as the Overwatch logo appeared on screen._

_Alex smiled at the familiar AI's voice. She hadn't expected Athena to be here today. She certainly hadn't mentioned anything back at the safe house. Alex figured she didn't want to give her an unfair advantage or anything, which is perhaps why she didn't bring it up. Either way, the familiar presence oddly soothed Alex's nerves a little._

_A holographic map appeared on the table in the centre of the room, and Winston stepped back slightly to allow the recruits to gather around it._

_"Today's mission is a race." Athena stated, her voice indicating the map on the table._

_"Before you is a scaled map of the arena that awaits you after this debriefing."_

_Alex stared at the map intensely, and she felt the tension of her fellow recruits doing the same fill the room, as Athena continued:_

_"The map is reminiscent of the cobblestone streets and architecture found in older European cities, with stone constructions built in a maze-like, circular pattern, leading to the centre of the map. Each recruit will begin at the outer edges of the maze, placed randomly in the southern sector of the map. In the centre, there are 26 totems placed on pedestals. The mission is simple. Retrieve a totem and return it here." Athena continued, before the northern most edge of the holographic map lit up, indicating a 'finish line'._

_"Once you reach the northern edge of the map here, you will see an obvious assembly point, where you will locate a table with 26 place holders. When you have returned a totem to its place holder here, your mission is over." Athena finished._

_The recruits began to buzz, clearly growing more excited and nervous as the missions details were revealed. Alex went over the details in her head, getting the feeling that there was more to this mission. Just as she was about to speak up, Athena continued:_

_"While this mission is a simple snatch and retrieve, that does not mean that you won't be met with resistance. During your time in the maze, you will be met with digital opponents in the form of drones, who will try to thwart your path. As you get closer to the middle of the maze, these opponents will become more difficult to defeat. You are free to use whatever means necessary to defeat or evade these opponents."_

_The rich douche spoke up suddenly:_

_"Whatever means necessary huh? So we've got like, free reign then?"_

_"Yes Mr Jones. You are free to use any ability, enhancement, weapon, or otherwise knowledge at your disposal, to defeat or evade your opponents, and to assist you in your overall mission. We also have a range of basic weapons and tools to offer any recruit who wishes to make use of them. You will be given 15 minutes to study the map of the arena, but only 15 minutes. Upon entering the maze, you will have no access to the map, and you will be on your own."_

_A wave of excitement rushed through the recruits at this new prospect of using abilities and enhancements. Alex observed her fellow recruits around her, suddenly realising the advantage this would give some over others. Speed would be an obvious beneficial trait, getting you to the centre of the maze the fastest, although speed alone wouldn't help navigate the maze and avoid, or possibly fight off enemies._

_The biggest problem Alex deducted, was going to be the maze itself. Not having the map on the ground was a slight inconvenience, well, to others anyway. Fortunately Alex's eye had the capability of scanning and saving the map's data to her memory, so she could still pull up images of it in her mechanical eye even after looking at it. Still, it depended where she started and which paths would have the least amount of opponents. Perhaps the placement of enemies would be random or perhaps they would be drawn to the movements of the recruits? Then there was the matter of speed. Alex was quick in battle, for sure, but running distances? There were others in the group who clearly had an advantage there._

_Suddenly amidst all of her deducting, a thought suddenly struck Alex and she spoke up:_

_"This mission. It's a simple race correct? The first person to place one of the totems in its place holder wins the race?"_

_"Yes. As I stated, your means of attaining the totems and navigating the maze are completely up to you."_

* * *

Travelling by rooftop had been the right call. Alex had been able to cover a lot more ground by simply cutting through sections of the maze rather than working her way around it on the ground. Having the map with her at all times was also an added, perhaps unfair, bonus. Her mech eye had even been able to detect some of the weaker drones earlier in the map, and she supposed they had been older models, able to be picked up on scanners not limited to military use. Regardless, Alex hadn't really run directly into many of the drones, being able to avoid most of them, and she considered herself lucky for it. She'd noticed some of the other recruits had had speed based enhancements, so cutting time wherever she could had been her primary objective so far, and seeing as she was the first to the centre of the maze, she figured it had worked in her favour.

Alex was just about to parkour her way down the building to collect one of the totems when she saw someone enter the clearing to her left. Instinctually, Alex lowered herself closer to the edge of the roof, concealing her location to whoever was walking towards the totems. Another recruit. Alex probably would have just waited for them to select their totem and leave, banking on her ability to beat them to the finish line by using the same tactics she'd used to beat them here in the first place, had she not been thwarted by the latest drone anyway. However, when the recruit stepped into the light and Alex realised who it was, the corner of her mouth twitched into a wicked smirk.

* * *

Conner approached the small clearing cautiously. He thought it unlikely that there would be drones located in the small area, and he hadn't detected any movement that indicated any of the other recruits had reached the centre of the maze either, but still his training urged him to use caution. Once he had a clear view of the full clearing, and had scanned the area to confirm his suspicions of there being no one around, he relaxed his shoulders and holstered his plasma pistols.

As he approached the pedestals holding the 26 totems, Conner smirked cockily when he realised none of them had been taken yet. He chuckled loudly, shrugging his shoulders as he said out loud:

"I really shouldn't be surprised that I was the first one here."

He reached around for his pack and set his sights on totem number 'one', fitting he thought for his obvious ranking in this stupid exam. He reached out to grab the totem and was mere inches away from grasping the metallic trophy-like object when he suddenly heard a high but almost silent whizzing sound approaching quickly. He jumped back instinctually, darting his eyes around, scanning for the source of the sound, when a grappling hook suddenly hooked onto the totem he had been about to grab, wrapping around it securely before retracting just as quickly as it had extended towards a rooftop to the north of the clearing.

He followed the hook back to its origin, noticing the crouching figure perched on the rooftop, and recognised the small recruit from the debriefing room with the odd silver hair. While he had made sure to suss out all of his fellow recruits during the debriefing, he hadn't given this one too much attention because he simply hadn't considered her to be in his spectrum of competition. The girl had defined muscles that obviously indicated she was trained in some form of self-defence, but she was small and didn't seem to have any enhancements, robotic or otherwise, to indicate that she'd be a threat. Clearly he'd been wrong.

The girl grabbed the totem as it reached her and swung it into her small pack with precision. Suddenly Conner noticed the gauntlets she was wearing and his nostrils flared in annoyance. They were just standard issue gauntlets that the academy had provided amongst the other basic weaponry. He had state of the art enhancements built into his legs designed specifically for speed, so how had this annoying little bitch beaten him with such mediocre gear and no visible enhancements of her own?!

The girl suddenly stood up and mock saluted him before swiftly turning around and grappling to the next roof on the path north, to the finish line. Even from such a distance Conner hadn't missed the shit eating grin the girl had been wearing throughout the entire exchange. Something about her entire demeanour got under his skin and he couldn't help but clench his fists in rage. Suddenly feeling the need to vent this rage, he shouted out after the girl:

"YOU LITTLE BITCH!"

With more resolve than ever to finish this race in first place, Conner grabbed the nearest totem to him, slamming it ungracefully into his backpack, and set off in the same direction as the girl, his bio enhancements propelling him at a faster than human pace.

* * *

Alex dashed from rooftop to rooftop in a swift but rhythmic pace, her feet barely touching the ground before she'd be propelling herself faster onto the next building, all the while scanning the area for any drones. The wind was blowing through her hair and she couldn't help but think that maybe this was what it was like to fly. It was exhilarating, and her confrontation with the rich-boy looking recruit had only added to her excitement.

There were a few recruits, the blonde jerk included, who Alex had considered her biggest competition in a race style scenario, so she wasn't overly surprised that one of them had made it to the centre of the maze around the same time she had. If it hadn't been for the fact that she had the map at her disposal and that she'd travelled almost exclusively on the rooftops, Alex had no doubt that the blonde, and possibly a few of the other recruits with specialties leaning towards speed, would have beaten her to the centre.

After the smug way Alex had snatched up the boy's totem back in the centre of the maze, Alex had no delusions that he'd be out to beat her now, meaning that she also had to up her game, taking the shortest route possible and travelling at a constant pace. Despite the position she'd put herself in, Alex didn't regret the way she had acted. Something about the pompous looking jock just got to Alex and she couldn't help the urge to get under his skin, and judging from his expression back in the clearing, she knew she had succeeded. This was further cemented when she heard him call out angrily after her as she fled the scene.

She wasn't sure how the boy was navigating the maze, but she knew if she slowed down for even a second he would surely catch up to her. She had noticed that he had bio enhancements of some kind in his leg, no doubt giving him inhuman speed. What she didn't know was how fast he could actually run. She just hoped she could propel herself faster. The urge to beat him alone was now way stronger than her initial urge just to win. She wanted to rub it in his pompous face.

Alex pulled up the holographic map in her mechanical eye, it acting as a blanket of sorts in her vision, covering the 3D map that was the actual arena. She hadn't seen many drones this side of the centre, and most of them had been the older models she'd been able to detect like before. It was odd. Alex would have guessed that the northern end of the maze would have more enemies, and it suddenly made her feel slightly uneasy. Surely it wouldn't be this simple once they'd retrieved their totems? Something didn't add up.

Alex continued on at her steady pace regardless, but scanned her environment more frequently as she moved, fearing that there was a part of this mission, an enemy perhaps that she hadn't expected yet.

After what felt like an eternity in eerily undisturbed movement, Alex finally saw the edge of the map just up ahead of her, a large archway standing taller than the rest of the buildings marking the exit of the maze, and her destination. She hadn't seen or detected any drones for a few blocks now, and she just couldn't shake the feeling that something was wrong.

She suddenly brought herself to a halt about 2 blocks away from the archway, scanning the area again, and again, seeing nothing. She looked back towards the archway, scanning the building itself for any signs of enemy movement, or an enemy at all.

The tiniest sound of movement on the ground behind Alex suddenly caught her attention and she back flipped out of the way just in time to avoid the plasma bullet that flew past, merely centimetres away from her left cheek. Landing in a crouching position on the edge of the roof, Alex glared down at what she knew was the source of the bullet.

"I thought your reflexes would be quick. I suppose I guessed right?" The blonde boy stated cockily, a smirk plastered across his face as he held his plasma pistol out, still pointing towards Alex which made her upper lip twitch in irritation.

She returned his smirk though, replying equally as cockily:

"So what? If my reflexes had been slow you were just gonna shoot me?"

She raised her eyebrow at him, challenging. He held her gaze for a moment longer, none of them willing to give up in their silent standoff before the tell-tale metallic buzz of a drone filled their ears from the north. This drone sounded different from the other drones they'd encountered though. The sound emitting from it was much louder, like it wasn't even trying to hide its location, and Alex wondered how she could've possibly missed it when she'd scanned the area only minutes before.

"Well. It's been fun princess." The boy called out in a demeaning tone, lowering his weapon for the first time and holstering it in his side, before continuing: "But I have a race to win."

He was just about to dash towards the archway, and towards the sound of the drone which seemed to be drowning out all of Alex's other senses at the moment when Alex yelled after him:

"Wait! Don't you wonder why it sounds so different from the others? It's like it's not even trying to conceal its location."

The boy rolled his eyes at Alex before replying in a bored tone:

"It doesn't matter what kind of drone it is, it's all the same to me princess. If you're that scared though, I guess I'll just take care of it. Don't worry; I'll keep your second place spot warm for you though."

And with that, he sped off towards the archway.

Alex scoffed to herself. She wasn't _scared_ of anything. Well, at least, not of a drone anyway. She was just being cautious, something she guessed that meathead wasn't capable of. There was something odd about the placement of the drone and the fact that there hadn't been many since the totems.

"It's almost like it _wants_ us to go to it." Alex thought out loud.

Shaking it off, Alex grappled to the next rooftop, taking off after the blonde boy. Caution aside, there was no way she was letting that douchebag beat her to the finish line.

* * *

It felt like the boy had only left minutes before Alex, but by the time she had caught up, the battle was already well under way, and he was losing. The drone was much larger than the ones Alex had seen in the rest of the maze, standing roughly 4 metres tall and armed with what looked like some form of projectile weaponry. The blonde boy was pinned behind the rubble of a building that had obviously been freshly destroyed, and his breathing was heavy, indicating that the battle was having its toll on him.

Part of Alex thought that this would be an opportune moment to grapple her way past the two and through the exit archway which was now in Alex's sight, probably only 20 metres away. The drone was distracted and this would be the best way for Alex to win. She was just about to act on this decision when the drone suddenly located the boy's position, and the beam in its arm glowed bright. Alex figured this probably meant it was about to shoot up where the boy was, and while she didn't think the academy would allow the recruits to be mortally wounded, she had no doubt that the boy would be leaving in an ambulance if the shots landed.

Alex glanced back at the archway for a second, then back to the boy.

"Fuck!" She cursed under her breath, before lunging towards the battle and not away from it.

"Look out!" She called out, gaining both the attention of the boy, and to her dismay, the drone.

The drone suddenly turned towards her instead, it's fully loaded blasters shooting immediately in her direction, spraying a chain of what Alex guessed were plasma bullets. She just barely dodged the first wave of bullets, ducking behind a wall for shelter.

When the bullets stopped flying and Alex heard the signature clicking that indicated it was reloading, she used the opportunity to shoot out from behind her wall and attack the drone head on. Unfortunately it's reaction times were a lot better than all of the other drones, and it switched easily into hand to hand combat mode, blocking most of Alex's blows meaning she couldn't do any real damage.

Alex managed to duck and block most of the drone's blows in turn, using her agility to jump around and practically climb the tall drone, scanning frantically as she dodged incoming blows. She smirked widely when she located what she had been looking for, a small raised area at the base of the drone's neck, indicating a lift away panel that would open up to its control panel. If Alex could only latch onto the small area for a second-

Suddenly, a large metallic hand grabbed onto Alex's leg as she hung off the large machine, throwing her forcefully away and causing her to stumble and fall onto her back. She heard the signature buzz of its guns charging up again and scurried to her feet just in time to jump out of the way, landing behind the same pile of rubble the boy was hiding behind.

Alex panted, short of breath after her scuffle with the drone, and stated sarcastically:

"Wow. You're really showing him aren't you? I'm so glad I left you alone to 'handle' it!"

"Yeah well at least I landed a shot! What have you done princess, besides hug the damn thing?!" The boy replied equally as mockingly.

Suddenly Alex had an idea, and while she hated to admit it, it would require them working together.

"Your bullets. They can penetrate the metal?" She asked seriously, looking at the boys pistols.

The boy stared at her with a confused expression, but replied nonetheless: "Yeah, they pierce it."

Alex smirked wickedly, her adrenaline suddenly coming back full speed now that she had a plan. Her sudden change in mood must have thrown the boy beside her off, because he shifted uncomfortably, but Alex couldn't care less if she looked insane in that moment.

"What's your aim like rich boy?" She asked teasingly.

The boy scoffed, before replying confidently: "It's Conner. And give me a target? I'll make your shot."

Alex heard the clicking again from the drone, indicating it was about to reload. They could either try right now, or wait until the drone's next reload. Waiting would give them more time to coordinate their attack, but Alex's adrenaline was pumping like crazy and she suddenly felt an overwhelming urgency to end this now.

She propped herself up into a squatting position, ready to spring.

"I'll turn it away from you and distract it. At the base of its neck there's a small raised area of metal. That's your target rich boy!"

And with that, Alex sprang into action, charging the drone directly until she was mere metres away from it before dropping to the ground and sliding underneath it, coming to her feet again on the other side. She charged the drone again, not giving it a second to think before coming at it with full forced blows. With the added power that the gauntlets packed into her punches, the hits that landed actually managed to make the machine stumble a little.

In the midst of dodging and attacking, Alex heard a shot ring out, but still the drone attacked her relentlessly. She clicked her tongue in frustration.

"I thought you said you could make the shot?!" She called out, irritated that she had relied on Conner at all and reminded of why she hated working in teams.

"Agh! I think I messed up my leg!" Conner called out with slight pain in his voice, and Alex felt only the tiniest pang of guilt for not bothering to check whether or not he'd had injuries.

Ducking a blow and jumping to the side, Alex called out again, mocking:

"And that impacts your aim, does it?!"

"Very funny princess!" Conner retorted angrily, raising his pistol again to aim and taking a deep breath, wincing slightly at the pain in his leg.

He opened his eyes and watched the moving target carefully as the small girl danced around it. It's movements weren't that erratic. Conner was sure he could do this. He took another deep breath, held it for a second while he aimed, and fired two shots as he exhaled.

Alex heard two more shots ring out, and this time the impact of the bullets hitting the metal casing was heard. The drone stopped swinging its limbs at Alex, and a piercingly high screech came from the machine before it slowly crashed into the ground, unmoving.

Alex leaned on her legs, her hands gripping her calves as she panted heavily. She looked down at the pile of metal triumphantly, a grin plastered across her face.

Suddenly remembering her overall objective, Alex looked up to where Conner was now leaning against a nearby wall, wincing slightly and clutching his right leg. She glanced towards the archway, before making her way over to the boy.

"Looks like you made the shot rich boy." She teased.

Conner looked up at her from his leaning position and rolled his eyes:

"It's Conner."

Alex just laughed before replying:

"Yeah well, it's Alex, not princess."

She paused before adding seriously:

"How's your leg?"

Conner took a deep breath and stood up straight, coming to about a foot taller than Alex.

"I'll live." He replied sarcastically.

Alex considered the taller boy for a moment, before smirking.

"Good. Then I won't feel bad about this." She stated deviously, and before Conner had a chance to react, she kicked out his bad leg from below him, making him grunt slightly and fall on his ass.

"Thanks for the help rich boy. And don't worry, I'll keep your second place spot warm for you." Alex stated cockily, before mock saluting and spinning on her heal to run towards the finish line.


	16. Chapter 16

"You gonna open it Luv or, just keep staring daggers into it?" The cheerful, cockney voice teased from the other end of the line.

"Is it considered normal human behaviour to wait this long before opening a message?" The pleasant sounding AI voice quipped in response.

Alex's eyebrows twitched in agitation as she lay on her stomach on her bed in the Harmony-based Overwatch safe house. To her right sat her phone in which she was currently video calling with Lena, and in front of her sat her tablet, which Athena was currently connecting to wirelessly so she was able to speak with them both, seeing as the bedroom didn't have its own speaker for privacy reasons. Athena wasn't the only thing currently residing on Alex's tablet though, nor was she the reason for Alex's undivided attention and slight apprehension.

Alex stared at the unopened email with the subject line 'Overwatch Academy Entrance Results' like her very life depended on its contents. She'd been so nervous about opening the message alone that she'd immediately called Lena and invited Athena in, but was regretting that decision more and more as the two continued to tease her about her reluctance.

"I'm never inviting you two anywhere ever again!" Alex pouted in reply to their teasing, which garnered cheerful laughter from Lena and what Alex could only assume was an amused hum from Athena.

"Look, I know that you're probably nervous, but there's a lot to be positive about! I mean, you said you won the race right?" Lena encouraged cheerfully.

"I…guess." Alex replied still somewhat reluctant.

Lena did have a point though. Alex had in fact come first in the entrance exam race, so that was a guaranteed win right? But Lena had also said there were several other factors that were taken into consideration when scouting new talent, so maybe the race wasn't the only thing they were being judged on. At the time, Alex had been so focused on winning, and in particular on beating Conner specifically, that she hadn't really paid much attention to any other qualities they may be assessing.

"She did injure another recruit in order to place first in the race however." Athena piped up just in time to crush Alex's spirits further into their deep pit of despair.

Alex groaned loudly, shoving her face into the pillow below her.

"Probably not the best thing to bring up when we're trying to give her a pep talk yeah?" Lena laughed nervously through the line.

Suddenly an explosion rung out from Lena's end of the line, followed by Lena cursing quietly under her breath.

Alex looked up to her phone suddenly, noticing that Lena was glancing around, no, she was scanning the area. For the first time since their call began Alex noticed that Lena was in her combat gear and was holding her blasters. Had she been holding onto them the entire time they'd been talking? Had there been previous explosions? Had Alex been so wrapped up in her own mind that she'd totally missed that Lena was quite obviously on a mission, and in an active combat zone. She suddenly felt immensely guilty and stuttered out awkwardly:

"Umm. Lena? I-is this an okay time for you? Like, should you maybe hang up and deal with. Well, with that?"

Lena laughed cheerfully in response. Way too cheerfully for someone who was in an active combat zone in Alex's opinion.

"What? This? Nah! It's just some small time rebels thinking they're hotshots. Just give me a sec yeah?"

Before Alex could even respond, the screen went black as Lena had obviously placed it face down on something. Alex heard some muffled sounds, Lena's recall and blasters shooting among them, followed by few shouts, some more blaster shots and sirens. After a few minutes of relative silence had passed, Lena's ever bubbly face returned to her screen, smile wider than ever.

"Now. Where were we?" Lena asked in an overly cheerful tone, and Alex new she was just showing off.

Alex rolled her eyes and replied dryly:

"Well, _we_ were in the safety of Harmony discussing the trivial matter of my college acceptance while _you_ were clearly off saving the world in…Where are you?"

"I-it's probably best I don't tell you…" Lena replied, laughing nervously and scratching the back of her head, before adding:

"So. Are you gonna open it?"

Deciding that Lena appeared to be safe, Alex turned her attention back to the unopened email on her tablet. She wasn't sure why she was so nervous. She didn't usually let stuff like this get to her. If she didn't make it in, she didn't make it in. She'd figure out the rest later. Alex had always been the kind of person to just go with the flow. She didn't like to get caught up in "what ifs". Still. This felt different. With Daishin gone, this was her chance to find somewhere else she belonged, and she wasn't quite ready to push that goal aside were she to be rejected.

"I can open it for you if you like?" Athena suddenly perked up from the tablet screen in front of Alex, snapping her out of her thoughts.

"NO!" Alex suddenly shouted out, pushing herself up into a sitting position on the bed.

"I-I just need, a second or…" She trailed off, not really knowing what she was going to say.

"Just go for it Luv. You've got this." Lena offered encouragingly.

Alex glanced at Lena through her phone. Something about the woman always managed to calm her nerves, and while she wished she'd been able to be here with her, just seeing her face and hearing her voice was enough to give Alex the strength she needed. Taking a deep breath, Alex leaned forward and clicked the message.

The room remained silent for a moment as Alex scanned the contents of the message. It felt like hours had passed by the time she reached the line she was looking for:

_'_ _We are pleased to inform you that following your results in the entrance exam, you have been accepted into Overwatch Academy.'_

It felt as though time started moving forward again in that moment after being frozen for what felt to Alex like forever. It wasn't until Lena asked Alex if she was okay that Alex even realised she had been just staring at the screen for a few minutes. She'd barely even registered the single tear rolling down her left cheek.

She sniffed, quickly wiping away the offending object with her sleeve before she looked over to Lena through the phone and smiled in what Lena thought might have been the most genuinely happy smile she'd ever seen from the girl.

"I got in."

* * *

The academy was bustling with activity, and Alex had to stop herself from colliding into other students on several occasions. Normally she'd hate being in a place so crowded, but today she was a bundle of nervousness and excitement, so her regular reservations weren't as prominent in her mind. She was however, more flustered than she normally was, a position she didn't normally find herself in.

Today was the academy's orientation day and unfortunately for Alex, she'd been so excited last night that she hadn't been able to sleep until the early hours of the morning, and as a result she'd slept through her morning alarm.

The academy's opening ceremony would be starting soon, and Alex could already tell that most of the students were moving in one direction, clearly towards the hall in which the ceremony would take place, but Alex had yet to find her room so she could dump all of her stuff. She glanced down at her suitcase and back to the map of the academy on her tablet. If she ran she'd make it, barely.

Sighing loudly, shoved her tablet into her suitcase and, as annoyingly heavy as the damn thing was, she picked the suitcase up from the ground completely, not bothering with its dodgy wheels, and bolted against the crowd to where she was pretty sure the dorms were located.

Alex was pleasantly surprised to see that as she neared her dorm's building, there were still students just leaving, so at the very least she'd only be _slightly_ behind some of the other students.

"Okay. Building…C! Gotcha!" Alex shouted triumphantly as she finally reached her allocated building. She whipped open the door, not even waiting for it to close behind her before she was sprinting towards the staircase that would lead her to her own room.

Like many of the buildings in Harmoney, the dorms too had a new and modern look to them. Everything looked pretty much new, even if students had already passed through them. For now though, Alex didn't really have the time to sightsee, so she just continued up the stairs with her awkwardly heavy suitcase in search of her room.

"Room 106!"

Alex dropped her suitcase unceremoniously onto the ground, not even caring for its contents in that moment. She reached out for the door but to her dismay it was locked. Alex frowned. She noticed a small pad beside the handle and thought maybe it was voice activated like the safe houses, so, taking a step back Alex suddenly spoke up:

"Alex Cross, call sign uh-none. Yet."

Nothing happened.

She tried again. Nothing.

Alex looked at the pad, frowning more deeply as she noticed it wasn't large enough to scan her hand like the Kings Row safe house had.

Alex groaned loudly in frustration and punched the door, hard. She'd been so flustered and angry that she didn't bother to hold back on her punch, which sent a sharp jolt of pain through her knuckles and up her arm.

"AHH! Fuck!" Alex shouted out in pain, clutching her left hand tightly in her right to subdue the dull throbbing.

After a few moments and with the pain subsiding somewhat, Alex remembered she didn't have time for any of this. She shook out her left hand, wincing when she realised she'd broken the skin and it had bled into her right hand.

"Shit, shit, shit, shit, SHIT!" She yelled out, frustrated.

She quickly knelt I front of her suitcase and pulled it open, quickly finding her first-aid kit and sloppily bandaging up her left knuckles, deciding it'd have to do until she had more time later. She threw everything back into her suitcase, and after glancing up and down the empty hallway, Alex decided to just leave it outside her room. She doubted anyone would move it and everyone would be at the ceremony so she equally doubted anything would be taken. Giving it one last glance, Alex sprinted down the stairs and out of the building, towards the hall where the ceremony had no doubt started.

To Alex's dismay the ceremony had apparently started by the time she had reached the Academy's hall, a large circular building located almost in the centre of the main campus. The building was huge, with tall outer walls and a modern look like most of the buildings in Harmony.

Alex found the signs pointing to the back entrance to the building, indicating that it was where the new students were to enter, but unfortunately for Alex the large double doors were shut, and apparently locked from the inside. Alex cursed under her breath, and almost lashed out at this door too, but her left hand twinged in a slight pain that warned her it wouldn't be a good idea. Not sure what else to do, and hearing muffled announcements coming from inside the building that Alex was certain she should not be missing, she raised her right hand and reluctantly knocked on the door, hopefully loud enough that someone close by would hear, but not loud enough that she would interrupt the ceremony. She hoped.

While she waited for a response, her phone suddenly beeped in her pocket, reminding her that she should probably silence it. She pulled it out of her jeans pocket, raising an eyebrow curiously at the 'unknown' that appeared in the place of a caller ID. She thought it odd, but curiously opened the message anyway.

_'_ _Congratulations on making it in little fox. I had a sneaking suspicion you would. I can't wait to see how you progress. Oh! And don't forget to pick up your ID from administration. I hear it's really good at opening doors.'_

Alex frowned at the message. Whoever it was they hadn't left their name at the end of the message, and the number was private so it's not like Alex would even be able to message them back. Maybe they'd messaged the wrong number by mistake? They didn't say her name in the message either so maybe it wasn't meant for her? She clicked her tongue. Something about that nickname was familiar though: 'little fox'. She couldn't quite place where she'd heard it though, or why it made her feel uncomfortable.

Before she had time to dwell on it anymore, the door in front of her was opening so she stuffed her phone back into her pocket.

Alex was greeted by a girl who Alex guessed was about her age, perhaps a year or two older, and Alex internally sighed in relief that a student had opened the door and not a professor. She was a few inches taller than Alex, which considering Alex's pitiful height wasn't too surprising, and she had long, wavy blonde hair that fell neatly over her shoulders to her waist. She was dressed neatly in a skirt and matching blouse, and she carried herself with an air of confidence. The girl raised her eyebrow at Alex expectantly and Alex found herself in awe of her and suddenly couldn't help but think about how pretty she was. A light blush tinged her cheeks and she stumbled her words as she spoke:

"Ah. S-sorry, it was locked and I-"

"You're late." The girl said bluntly in a London English accent, staring at Alex, unimpressed.

'Well shit.' Alex thought to herself. Suddenly getting the impression that this girl was the uptight and prissy kind.

Alex wasn't really sure what to say and the girl was practically staring daggers into her now so she just awkwardly mumbled out:

"Uh. Are you gonna let me in?"

The girl stared a moment longer before rolling her eyes and taking a step back, gesturing for Alex to come in.

Alex awkwardly stepped past the girl, muttering a "Thanks" and trying her best to slip into the crowd of students unnoticed. She found a vacant seat near the back and quietly dropped into it, sighing in relief that none of the professors up the front seemed to notice her late entrance.

She casually looked over her shoulder to see where the blonde girl was seated, noticing her an aisle to the left of herself. She watched as the girls she was sitting next to practically fawned over her as she nonchalantly flicked her hair over her shoulder.

Alex rolled her eyes and sunk into her seat.

'Jeez. Is everyone at this academy going to be some rich boy or prissy girl?'

Alex rolled her eyes and turned her attention to the front, trying to figure out if she'd missed anything important. From what she could see, there was a stage located at the front of the hall. At the centre of the stage, Winston was currently speaking into the microphone, giving a welcome speech Alex gathered, hoping she hadn't missed something crucial at the beginning. She could see a few of the professors seated behind him too, some of them she recognised from posters she'd seen of Overwatch back in Bradford, and some from the photos back at the safe house in Kings Row. She thought she could see the soldier one, and maybe Reinhardt? Unfortunately everyone sitting in front of her seemed to be way taller than her, and she was right at the back too.

Frustrated, Alex fell back into her seat and muttered under her breath:

"Why does everyone have to be so damn tall?"

"Tell me about it." A small voice muttered from beside her.

Alex looked to her right at the omnic that was sitting next to her. They were about her height and obviously struggling to see over the tall people in front of them as well.

Suddenly Alex felt a sense of comradery with the small omnic, uplifted slightly that someone else struggled with her in the height department.

"Why didn't you sit closer to the front?" Alex asked in a hushed voice.

"I came in late too, just a bit before you." The omnic replied in an equally hushed voice, before adding:

"I had to be let in by Diana too."

The omnic gestured over to the uptight blonde girl that had let Alex in.

"Diana huh? What's her deal?"

The omnic beside Alex giggled in a hushed tone.

"I think she's self-appointed herself as student rep. From what I've heard her parents 'donate' a significant portion of Overwatch's funding. She's rich, and a stickler for the rules. Seriously, I think if one more person comes in late she's going to blow a fuse." The omnic joked, causing Alex to giggle as well.

"I don't think we missed anything important by the way. When I came in Winston had just started his speech and it's mostly been about welcoming the students and all that. I'm Jax by the way." The omnic stated, holding out their metallic arm towards Alex.

Alex decided she liked this omnic. She grabbed their forearm and they shook in greeting.

"Alex." She replied.

Their attention was diverted back to the stage as Winston seemed to wrap up his speech.

"…and with that I pass you on to one of the founders of Overwatch itself to impart you with some words of wisdom, Jack Morrison."

Alex had guessed right from what little she could see of the stage. The soldier from Overwatch, the guy who had founded the organisation was here. Soldier…76 was it? He stepped up to the microphone and suddenly his deep, slightly husky voice permeated the room.

"I'm not as good at giving motivational speeches as Winston over here, but I'll try my best. First of all, congratulations are in order. If you're in this room today that means you're the best of the best, and you fought your asses off to get here, and for that you deserve praise. Don't let it go to your head though. This is when the real battle begins soldiers. You passed one entrance exam. I'm here to tell you that the next three years of your life there will be extensive 'entrance exams'. You can't afford to slack off in this kind of academy. You're soldiers now, and you'll constantly be competing with each other, with yourself, to prove you're the best, that you're our future. Today's only your first day, but it's never too early to start to think about what exactly you want to get out of these three years and what impact you wanna make on the world. Overwatch has several different factions you can join, or maybe you'll decide to go on your own path. What you want to do later on will reflect in how you approach your studies now. So listen to these guys up here. Let them help you become the best that you can be. Some of you might even be lucky enough to be picked up by one of our agents as part of our mentor program. So think hard about why you're here recruits. The future is in your hands. Don't screw it up."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Updates will be a bit slower now, this is my last university semester and it's killing me :')
> 
> Alex made it in! Woo! I'm sensing a certain meeting coming up quite soon~
> 
> Anywho, thank you for the support with this story and any feedback is very much appreciated!


	17. Chapter 17

Alex looked up and down the hall, her eyebrows knitting into a frown. She'd definitely left her suitcase outside her assigned room, room 106, before the opening ceremony. Sure she'd made it back to the dorms a bit later than most of the other students, having to make a detour to student administration to pick up her student ID, thanks to the advice from a still unknown person. But still. Alex really didn't think any of the students would just take someone else's belongings.

'It isn't even a nice suitcase.' Alex mused to herself as she placed her student ID on the room's keypad. She still hadn't even seen the inside of her new living quarters so figured she'd at least dump her small backpack before she started hounding on other student's doors.

As Alex opened the door fully, she was surprised to see that there was already someone in her room. Alex stood awkwardly in the doorway and blinked quizzically as she watched the chocolate skinned girl, who looked around her age, neatly pack her belongings into a bedside table.

"Uh." Alex began dumbfounded, not even sure what she was going to say.

Suddenly the girl whipped around, apparently finally noticing Alex's intrusion, and eagerly stepped forward, extending her forearm in greeting.

"Hello! You must be Miss Cross." The girl greeted in a pleasant Indian accent, before adding quickly:

"My name is Kali."

"A-lex." Alex replied reluctantly, trying to subtly pull her arm away from the other girl's tight grip.

"Oh! Right! I saw your suitcase sitting out in the hall so I went ahead and brought it in for you." The girl smiled eagerly, indicating to an area to her right which was blocked from Alex's field of vision from her current position in the doorway by the door.

The girl then stepped back, allowing Alex to step into the room and gauge its full size, being larger than she'd originally thought. To her left was another single bed, like the one Kali's belongings were neatly stacked on, only on this bed sat Alex's crappy old suitcase.

Suddenly all of the pieces fell together in Alex's head as she finally caught up to speed.

"Oh. The rooms are doubles." She said bluntly.

Her tone must have been more offensive than she'd intended, because Kali suddenly scoffed, laughing before she replied:

"Well don't sound so happy about it."

Alex's eyes widened in realisation as she whipped around, raising her hands to defend herself but stuttering hopelessly instead:

"Oh no! I didn't- I didn't mean, I mean I just thought- I d-didn't know that we'd be-"

"Sharing rooms?" Kali provided, raising her eyebrow amusedly at the stuttering girl in front of her.

Alex sighed, smiling apologetically before letting out a defeated:

"Yeah."

Kali laughed, replying happily:

"It's okay. I was only teasing you. Do you normally get flustered so easily?"

"Only around people." Alex muttered under her breath, before collapsing unceremoniously onto her bed, kicking her suitcase onto the ground.

Kali smiled curiously at the girl, but didn't question her further and returned to her meticulous unpacking.

Alex placed her backpack onto her own bedside table, a small, modern looking piece of furniture that matched Kali's, and rolled onto her back, staring at the stark white ceiling above her.

She sighed internally. Partly in relief that she hadn't just walked into someone else's room, that this was in fact her room. The bigger part of her was sighing with worry though. She didn't think she'd be sharing a room with somebody here. Kali seemed nice enough, albeit a little too enthusiastic, but Alex could already tell that she had an outgoing and bubbly attitude that was going to be totally different to Alex's normal speed of chill and/or just avoiding people completely. Alex had never had the best time making friends, and even when she did the friendships generally worked because she could leave at any time, keep her distance like she did with most of her relationships with others. She was generally a loner. Whether or not it was because she liked it more that way or that's just the way it always worked out, Alex wasn't sure, but that's how it had always been.

Alex glanced over at the other girl's back, watching her place her clothes meticulously into their shared wardrobe like it was a well-rehearsed action, never going over the invisible 'half-way' line that Alex supposed she had made for the two.

Alex sighed. There was going to be no escape with this girl. They were stuck in a room together for 3 years, and Alex worried at the kind of familiarity that would bring. She kept everyone at arm's length, never letting them get too close or learning too much about her. It kept her safe; kept her strong. No one could let her down that way, or exploit her weaknesses.

Alex rolled back onto her back and resumed her staring at the ceiling. A sinking feeling kept growing inside her heart and she unconsciously brought her hand up to her right eye, her most precious secret, a secret that might be increasingly difficult to keep in her current predicament.

* * *

The air was filled with the buzz of excitement as Alex and her classmates awaited the arrival of their first professor. This would be their first official class at Overwatch Academy, and Alex could practically feel the excitement rolling off her peers in waves. She had to admit the feeling was contagious.

Her first night at the academy's dorms had gone relatively smoothly, her awkward introduction to her new roommate aside, and Alex was beginning to think that this new feeling of excitement and happiness might be permanent.

Kali had remained by Alex's side when they'd reached their fellow classmates, which was probably more due to the fact that neither of them really knew anyone else yet, but the thought of not sitting totally alone eased Alex's mind slightly. It had been a while since Alex had attended a regular school where she had to interact with other students. After realising that she hated school Daishin had eventually given in and home schooled her. Having a friend, or at least a familiar face to cling to in the crowd made the almost foreign experience feel a little more welcoming.

The students had congregated around where they had all apparently assumed the lecture would take place. Alex's timetable had pointed her to this area, but it wasn't exactly a classroom like she'd expected. They were outside by a large field, which Alex had previously assumed was used for sports of some kind, though she supposed at a university like this one 'sport' would probably be a loose term for what they used the field for. The area they currently occupied was covered by a squared section of roof, held up by four large corner poles. There were elevated rows of benches located opposite the field, still under the roof, and what looked like a presentation area between the benches and the field itself, which was a concreted rectangular area raised slightly off the ground.

Alex and Kali had gotten to their morning class rather early, apparently Kali's internal alarm clock rang rather loudly and persistently because she had woken Alex up way too early in her opinion, but at least getting here early meant they had scored seats near the back.

'Out of direct attention.' Alex thought to herself with relief.

Usually Alex didn't really care about making impressions, and she certainly didn't care what other people thought about her, but she figured keeping a lower profile would just make the whole 'not caring' thing a little easier.

Alex vaguely heard Kali mentioning something about today's lesson when a familiar voice rang out in the girl's direction.

"Yo! Alex!" Came the pleasant, slightly tinny sounding voice as Jax climbed over the front few rows of seats towards the girls.

"Jax!" Alex called out; surprised that she was genuinely happy to see the omnic she'd met during the opening ceremony.

Jax stopped at the seat in front of the girls, extending his arm to Alex in greeting as he sat down, sitting on the bench sideways in order to face them.

A small grunt from Alex's right got her attention when she suddenly remembered Kali was sitting right next to her.

"Oh right! This is Kali by the way. She's my roommate." Alex offered apologetically.

"Yo. Nice to meet you Kali." Jax offered in a friendly tone, offering his arm in the same way he had to Alex.

"And you." Kali offered back politely.

"Can you guys believe this? We're about to start our first class at Overwatch Academy!" Jax asked enthusiastically, which earned a giggle from Kali and a grin from Alex.

Alex looked around at the fifty or so students around them and thought about the hundreds that mustn't have made it in. It still felt weird to her to be in this position when she'd only really decided on this path a month ago. It was weird how things had worked out since she met Lena and Zenyatta.

Before Alex could dwell on the thought any more, a loud, stern voice greeted them all from the presentation area at the foot of the benches.

"Good morning rookies. It looks like all of you made it here before me, I commend your efficiency. I suggest you keep it up. My name is Fareeha Amari, though some of you may know me from my call sign: Pharah. I'm sure you've all read the timetable, so I'm sure you understand the basic idea of what this class will be about. It's something you may or may not have implemented before in your life, many of you would have implemented it during your entrance exam to get into this academy. _All of you_ will implement it during your time here, and after you graduate: strategy. In this class we will explore the history of strategy and how it has and can affect the outcome of a minor scuffle, or even a full scale war. Now. You're probably wondering why a class on history is being taught outside. Well I'm sure you'll be happy to find out that this class will be composed of both theory and practical lessons. Throughout this class you'll not only be learning about different strategies, but you'll also be implementing them in various practical scenarios provided by me."

A hum of excitement buzzed among Alex's classmates at the prospect of practical training, and Alex was relieved that at least one of her classes wouldn't consist only of long lectures. Although in this particular case she supposed she didn't mind too much if the lecture topic was history, a topic she generally enjoyed. She decided that she already liked this class.

"Today, we're going to start with something simple; an introduction of sorts. I'm going to read a list of five names, please listen carefully: Diana Beaumont, Faraji Iwu , Laurence Evans, Edi, and Alex Cross." Fareeha called out before pausing.

Alex almost choked on her own saliva when she heard her name read out last. Her mind started racing. She'd recognised the name Diana from the list, but the others were foreign to her so she didn't think anything of the list until her own name was read out. They were obviously students from the class and Alex was worried at what it meant.

Before she had time to ponder the meaning of the list any further, Fareeha continued after what felt like an excruciatingly long pause:

"The five people whose names I just called out are students in this class. I'd like the five of you to step onto the stage here with me please, forming a straight line in the order you were called and facing your fellow classmates."

'Nononononononononononoooooo.' Alex's mind screamed at her as she slowly stood up and made her way down to the stage with the other four students. They were only 10 minutes into the class and already there was way too much unwanted attention on her. She'd just wanted to float in the background. Why couldn't she have just floated in the background?!

As Alex reached the front and took her position at the end of the line, her discomfort grew exponentially as she realised the entire class's eyes were trained on her and the other four students in her current predicament. Alex prayed that the names were just random and whatever they were up here for would be over with quickly.

Despite her discomfort, a familiar face at the front of the class that she'd apparently missed sitting all the way up the back suddenly caught her attention. She recognised the gelled blonde hair instantly and apparently he'd noticed her too because he was currently staring daggers into her. Alex couldn't help the smirk that pulled at her lips when she saw his angry expression, a movement that didn't go unnoticed to him, and suddenly the urge to piss off that familiar rich jerk began to overpower her initial nerves of being placed on stage.

Again, Fareeha's stern voice pulled Alex out of her train of thought.

"All of you fought to get into this academy, to prove that you were the best, but now that you're in, the stakes have raised, because every single person that got into this academy: is the _best_. If you want to stay at the top you'll have to fight harder than you've ever fought before, because I guarantee that your peers around you will be fighting."

Again Fareeha paused, smirking slightly before continuing:

"You're wondering why I have singled out these particular five students, but you're wrong. In fact, I'm singling out all of you who are still sitting on those benches. If you want to be the best, to reach the top, then these five are your competition. Diana Beaumont, Faraji Iwu , Laurence Evans, Edi, and Alex Cross. The _best_ of the best. These students placed at the top of your year, scoring the top five marks on this year's entrance exam. If you wanted to know what your competition looked like, this is it."

Alex could feel the sweat sliding down her neck and thanked the gods her leather jacket's collar covered it. The world seemed like it was closing in around her as the 45 other students stared intently at herself and her four fellow peers standing at the front. Alex loved competition as much as the next person, but this professor was practically encouraging the other 45 students to declare war on them.

'So much for flying under the radar' Alex sighed inwardly.

"For the five of you up the front. Do not think that I have singled you out just for the sake of your peers. During the three years you spend at this academy you will constantly be pushed to your limits to prove your worth. I am interested to see your journeys and whether or not you decide to fight to keep your place at the top of your year. But enough about that for now. There is another reason I called the five of you up here today. I told you that in this class we would be studying strategy. Each of these five students placed first in their respective entrance exam race, and I would hope to assume that each of them had some kind of strategy behind their win. Today, you five are the teachers. I want you to tell us all what your strategy was going into that scenario, and how you used both your strengths and weaknesses to aid in this strategy. Diana. You finished with the highest score from this year's recruits. How about you start us off?"

Diana nodded curtly and took two steps forward, flipping her wavy blonde hair over her shoulder with an air of arrogance that made Alex roll her eyes.

'Here we go…' Alex thought to herself.

* * *

It took a while for each of the four students before Alex to go through the strategies they'd implemented during the entrance exam. Some had similarities, but Alex was surprised to find that for the most part each strategy was unique. Alex hated to admit it, but she came to be highly intrigued by their stories. It was funny, they'd all been given the same 'problem' but had managed to find different ways to solve it according to their own strengths and specialties. Alex couldn't help but think of Daishin and his way of thinking as she listened on. She had no doubt that he would have been able to guess each person's strategy just by looking at them and give you twenty more plausible options off the top of his head. The thought made Alex smile subtly to herself.

It turned out Diana was apparently a 'good leader' and during her race she'd scouted team members to help her, acting as their director as they strategically fought their way through the maze together. Diana had organised them into memorising certain parts of the map each during their fifteen minute allocated time, and here's the kicker, she'd apparently 'figured out' the algorithm for splitting up the students along the edges of the map and chosen her teammates accordingly. Alex was slightly sceptical about that particular detail. Their group had made it to what Alex called the 'final boss', being the huge drone near the exit gate, first, and worked as a team, again directed by Diana, to take it down together. Being the leader, Diana had obviously taken first place in her round.

Faraji's strategy had been pretty straight forward and to the point. Apparently he'd tried to remember basic paths on the map, but as for fending off enemies, he just ploughed through them…literally. Looking at the tall, dark-skinned, ripped teenager, although Alex had her doubts about him being anywhere near close to her age, it wasn't hard to imagine him literally just walking through enemies. He'd done the map alone, even taken out the final boss by himself. Apparently during the exam he'd worn his own custom full body armour suit and his weapon of choice was a giant axe. The boy, again, Alex used the term 'boy' loosely, was already about double Alex's height, she couldn't even imagine running into the beast of a man in full body armour. She seriously doubted he would have been met with resistance from his fellow recruits during the exam, that's for sure.

Laurence was fairly tall, but kind of lanky, and after the reveal of the five of them scoring the highest in the entrance exam, Alex had had her doubts about his ability to qualify the most. He didn't appear to be particularly athletic, and when he explained his 'ability' it became apparent why he didn't need to be. Apparently he was some kid genius in Germany and developed his own cloaking technique. Not only could he blend into environments for spaces of time, but he had also managed to stabilize a strain of hard-light and used it to create decoys or mirror copies of himself for the enemy to attack while he snuck past. This coupled with his apparent 'photographic memory' meant he was literally able to breeze through the entire maze. While Alex had to give the boy credit for his intelligence, it pissed her off that this guy had _beat_ her in the exam by just sneaking past all the enemies. It seemed like an empty win to Alex, buuuut the whole point of this was to learn about other people's perspectives she supposed.

The last to speak before Alex, and the most interesting in her opinion, was Edi. Edi was an omnic who identified as female, who originated from Egypt. Like Alex, she had utilized the buildings during the entrance exam to avoid the bulk of the enemies, whilst also maintaining higher ground to set her bearings more easily. What interested Alex about her the most though was the technique and upgrades she'd received to achieve such a feat. While Alex had used a grappling hook to scale the buildings, far within the norms of human capability, Edi had upgraded her entire body with tech that allowed her to alter her own gravity point. On top of that, she'd had 'skates' of sorts installed during the entrance exam which meant she could literally just glide along the side of buildings and change at any time her own centre of gravity. This meant she could be upright on the ground, sideways on a building, or upside-down under roofs. The concept alone was enough to make Alex's mouth water and she really wanted to sit down with the omnic at some point to talk schematics. Another time, she figured. Needless to say, Edi had managed to avoid most of the enemies in her path, much like Alex, and only really had to face off against the boss at the end, which she ended up grouping up for.

"Thank you Edi." Fareeha said kindly when Edi had finished her explanation.

Alex was so caught up in the possibilities of Edi's tech that she hadn't even registered that Edi had finished speaking and stepped back beside her. After a drawn out moment of silence, Fareeha gently cleared her throat, whipping Alex back into reality.

'Oh shit.' Alex thought internally, as she realised everyone was waiting for her to speak.

'Fuck.' Public speaking, in fact speaking to people at all, wasn't really her forte.

Alex took two careful steps forward, before sighing under her breath and biting the bullet.

"I kinda did the same thing as Edi. I travelled via rooftops to keep a high ground so that I could see or hear the drones approaching more clearly. Traveling on the rooftops also meant that I didn't really have to 'figure out' the maze. I could practically move in a straight line. I ran into a couple of the smaller drones, but most of them I was able to disable easily."

"Disable?" Fareeha asked curiously.

"U-uh, yeah. I've been building and pulling apart machines and tech since I was a kid, it was pretty easy to figure out where their 'off switches' were." Alex offered awkwardly, finding it weird to talk herself up like this.

She cleared her throat and continued:

"I used gauntlets provided on the day with grappling hooks installed to jump from rooftop to rooftop. They also increased the power of my punches so when I did have to fight a drone they helped a lot. But yeah, mostly I just grappled over the rooftops at a pretty consistent speed, and so I was able to reach the centre and then the end of the maze the fastest."

They didn't need to know about her eye or the fact that she had been able to store the map's details in it and detect some of the lower model drones.

"Liar!" A familiar, angry voice called from the benches in front of them.

Alex was caught off guard for the tiniest fraction of a second before she realised who the voice was coming from, but she didn't let it show. Instead she stared right back at Conner, giving him the biggest shit eating grin she could muster.

"I GOT TO THE CENTRE OF THE MAZE FIRST! NOT HER!" He called out angrily, pointing accusingly at Alex as he stood up.

Alex didn't know why, but she just couldn't be intimidated by this douchebag. Maybe it was because she just saw him as douchebag, whatever it was, she was always eager to shoot him down a notch.

"Mr Jones! Please do not interrupt your fellow student." Fareeha spoke up firmly.

The seed of mischief had already planted itself firmly in Alex's mind though and she spoke up in response:

"It's okay, rich boy here actually plays a part in my story I guess so I'm glad he spoke up."

Alex smirked deviously at Conner before continuing:

"You see rich boy here actually showed up to the centre of the maze pretty soon after I did. I think he thought he'd gotten there first, but unfortunately for him, I had already scouted the area."

"She stole my totem!" Conner interrupted again, before Alex quickly retorted.

"Oh? You weren't just handing it over to me? Silly me, my mistake. After rich boy _handed over_ his totem I proceeded to wipe the floor with him by continuing on ahead of him. When I was about a block away from the exit I noticed an odd sound though..."

"Yeah and she pussied out!"

"Mr Jones!" Fareeha almost shouted this time, but the two teens continued over her, ignoring the urgency in her voice, getting louder and louder.

"And how did running in all 'gung ho' work out for you again?! If I remember correctly you were getting your ass kicked when I got there!"

"Hey I did some damage of that scrap of metal!"

"Oh yeah! You really showed it by hiding behind that rock and crying!"

"I wasn't crying! And I'm the one who took it down in the end remember!"

"Only because I told you where to shoot! If it hadn't been for me you'd still be there shooting aimlessly until it took pity on you and just killed you!"

The air between the two grew more intense, Conner even stepping forwards towards the stage as he yelled each retort. Alex held her ground however, continuing to mock the boy in front of her which just set him off even more.

"You kicked me in my injured leg you bitch!"

"Well if you hadn't run in alone like a dipshit you wouldn't have gotten injured in the first place!"

"Hey! Both of you that's enough!" Fareeha attempted again, again falling on deaf ears as the rest of the students became restless at the anticipation of a possible fight breaking out. Some people had already begun to stand up and inch closer to the two.

"Maybe you should try hitting someone when they're not injured then!" Conner fumed, stepping right into Alex's personal space, but again, Alex held her ground and continued to mock the other boy:

"You must really like getting your ass handed to you rich boy!"

"ALRIGHT THAT'S ENOUGH!" Fareeha yelled impatiently, fed up with trying to be civil and instead using physical force to separate the two hot-headed students. She grabbed both Alex and Conner by the shoulder and shoved them backwards in opposite directions. Alex stumbled but managed to stay on her feet and maintain some of her dignity. The same could not be said for Conner, who stumbled back and tripped back over the small raised edge of the stage, falling on his ass unflatteringly. Alex had a sneaking suspicion that Fareeha had shoved him harder though, possibly because from an outside perspective he had been the most physical in his advances. Either way, the sight caused Alex to burst out with laughter.

"Falling on your ass is a good look for you rich boy!" She called out, laughing hysterically at her own joke, and even drawing a few laughs from the students who were still crowded around them.

"That's enough Alex!" Fareeha stated firmly, slapping Alex swiftly over the back of the head, cutting her off mid-laugh, and it did, cause Alex to pause.

Alex suddenly felt an overwhelming sense of déjà vu at the situation before her. The other hot-headed kid falling on his ass after Alex had handed it to him, well in this case that was all Fareeha, the authoritive figure in her life standing between the two and demanding an end to the bickering. The thing that really set her back though was the way that Fareeha had slapped her over the head. Not hard enough to really hurt, but enough to assert her dominance and give off a 'don't test me' kind of aura. The feeling was so familiar that Alex had to choke back a tear while the chaos around her seemed to die down, becuase for a moment, Fareeha was Daishin. For a moment, Alex could feel Daishin next to her again, could feel not Fareeha disciplining her, but Daishin, and it all happened so suddenly that Alex was totally unprepared for the tidal wave of emotions it brought bubbling to the surface. She was thankful for the few moments of the chaos dying down as Fareeha instructed the other students so she could hide the wave of emotions she was sure anyone actually looking would see flash across her face.

"All of you back to your seats!" Fareeha shouted afterwards, in a tone that said not to test her patience.

"And you two..." Fareeha started, indicating to a recomposed Alex and Conner,

"Both of you will be joining me after your classes for the next week to discuss peaceful conflict resolutions in _vivid_ detail."

* * *

"Well that was certainly an interesting start to the semester!" Jax stated amusedly from Alex's left.

"Don't remind me…" Alex sighed in response.

"I can't believe you were in the top five ranked students in our entire year Alex! That's incredible!" Kali stated equally as amused as Jax from Alex's right.

"Don't. Remind. Me." Alex said again, slumping forward and dramatically thumping her face on the table in front of her, closing her eyes and trying to block out her two, annoying, new friends as they continued to make jokes at her expense.

They were seated in a lecture hall now, waiting for their professor to arrive for their afternoon class. If Alex hadn't been so exhausted from the mornings proceedings she might have actually been excited for this class, which was right up her alley: Self Defence. She knew that it would be a class that she would enjoy, she liked fighting, what could she say? Today though? Alex wanted nothing more than to crawl into bed and sleep for a week straight.

Unlike Fareeha's class, this class was set indoors, in a more traditional looking lecture hall. The rows of seats and tables elevated up in a semi-circle shape around the front of the room, which consisted of a squared-out padded area and a desk in front of a large digital screen to the right of the padded area. The padded area itself looked like a small arena or stage, a little like the one from Fareeha's class, and Alex assumed it would be where the students would train and spar. Like most of the buildings on campus, this room too had a modern look to it.

The sound of clicking boots registered vaguely in Alex's mind as she continued to sulk with her face planted on the table in front of her. Judging by the way the chatter died down among her fellow students and the fact that Jax and Kali had stopped annoying her, Alex assumed their professor for the class had just walked in. Still, she couldn't find it in herself to bother to look up quite yet.

"Bonsoir, and welcome first years." Came the smooth French accent from the professor in greeting.

Alex's eyebrows knit into a frown as she stared at the table. Something about that voice felt familiar, but she couldn't quite place it…

"My name is Amélie Lacroix, and I will be your instructor for this class." The voice continued.

"Amélie…" Alex said to herself, rolling the name around on her tongue, trying to place it in her memory.

After a few moments it dawned on her.

'Oh shit. Lena's girlfriend Amélie! I forgot she was going to be teaching here.' Alex thought to herself, not sure why the prospect made her nervous.

As Amélie continued to speak about the structure of the class however, a lurching feeling began to grow inside Alex's stomach as she tried to remember if she'd ever actually heard Amélie's voice while she knew Lena. As she wracked her mind for the memory that she couldn't find, the lurching feeling in her stomach grew to the point of nauseating when the voice started to sound familiar from all the wrong memories.

Alex became increasingly uncomfortable as the darkest thoughts creeped at the edges of her consciousness.

'You're crazy Cross. Stop trying to psych yourself out. Just look up god damn it! You'll see how much of an idiot you're being!' Alex ran over in her mind, giving herself a pep talk of sorts.

Alex realised her breathing was becoming more laboured and she couldn't seem to shake the uneasiness that was spreading inside her. Fearing the onset of a panic attack, Alex decided it'd be best to squash her fears before they could fully take root. She whipped her head up in the hopes of admonishing her fears, but as soon as her eyes met their destination her throat dried instantly.

Time stopped moving and yet for some reason Alex felt motion sickness at the same time. Her breathing quickened and became strained as it felt like a hand constricted tightly around her throat, squeezing to the point that Alex thought it would kill her. Some distant part of her mind acknowledged that people were moving around her but as much as she strained her eyes she couldn't quite seem to focus on their faces. She tried to stand, the suffocating sensation becoming unbearable. She needed to get out, she needed to run, to get away.

She vaguely registered stumbling over her backpack, collapsing onto her knees as the movement around her became more erratic now, more urgent. She felt hands touching her, but at the same time her consciousness felt like it was miles away from her body, like she was witnessing the scene from a stranger's perspective.

Suddenly the flashes of pink and brown and grey that surrounded her blurred vision subsided and were replaced with a familiar blue.

"Alex…Cross…Alex…Cherie…" A string of words that were familiar yet felt so foreign barely registered in Alex's consciousness in that moment.

Her throat felt coarse and dry, but somehow she managed to force out a soft, strangled: "No."

The blue blur started to come into focus in Alex's vision, and suddenly golden orbs were staring at her as clear as day, orbs that she would never forget in a million lifetimes. Alex screamed into the void of her mind as the familiar sweet scent of being so close to this person permeated her entire being. She could feel her conscious slipping, could feel herself falling back into _that_ darkness. This scenario was a well-rehearsed play in the darkest parts of Alex's mind. She sucked in a ragged breath of air as she felt the tension in her body rise to a peak, which only made her cough and splutter as she inhaled too much of that damned sweet scent!

This was it. She had reached the end of her conscious state. Soon the prick would come. Finality would come and she could wake up again and live to fight another day, just as soon as that sharp pain in her neck came...

Just as soon as it came...

Just...

But it never did. If anything the cruel anticipation of waiting for nothingness was worse, and it was too much for Alex's mind to handle. Whether or not the sharp pain came to her neck Alex was certain her mind would slip into the darkness.

Just as her mind began to recede into its darkest depths, a cool hand reached out to Alex's cheek that sent a shiver down her spine as that sickeningly familiar French accent seeped into her core:

"Alex. Cherie. Stay with me…"

The words were different, and they confused her, just like how the beauty of the monster in front of her had always confused her, but Alex's mind was too far gone to register what this confusion meant.

The darkness had already consumed her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: *squeals* I'm so happy to finally have this chapter out! It took a while to place things together, but it happened. The scene where Alex sees Amélie for the first time at the university and the very first scene of this entire story were actually the first two scenes I had envishioned when starting this story, so I'm super happy to have made it this far. I can't wait to share more of Alex's journey with you all!  
> Thank you so much to everyone who has read the story so far, and any feedback is very much appreciated!  
> See you all next chapter!


	18. Chapter 18

It seemed like there was no end to the void of nothingness that surrounded Alex. Her head felt heavy, and she felt as though she'd been falling through this endless void since the beginning of time. Alex didn't even remember how she came to be here. Her mind felt strangely blank and Alex suddenly wondered if this was what death felt like? Empty. She didn't feel anything. Didn't remember anything. The sense of nothingness almost felt blissful, like a huge burden that she couldn't remember had been lifted from her shoulders. Maybe this had always been what Alex had craved, this nothingness. If only she could remember…

A sudden stabbing pain in her arm caused Alex's body to wrench dramatically as a wave of jagged memories forced their way back into her mind far too quickly for her to process them.

She sucked in air as if she'd been starved of it her entire life, as her body clawed its way back into consciousness. Her eyes darted open far too quickly as she practically sprung forward into an awkward half-sitting position. The harsh contrast of the stark whiteness surrounding her compared to the darkness that had just enveloped her caused her eyes to water and sting and the harsh movement of her body combined with an unexplained sense of motion sickness stirred in Alex's stomach, causing her to gag and vomit unceremoniously onto the stark white sheets before her. Alex couldn't even register if anything was actually coming out of her mouth, the burning in her throat and throbbing in her head so prevalent that they were blocking out every other perception she had.

Alex inhaled deeply again, trying to catch her breath through her constant gagging. Not for the first time that day, Alex wondered if she might be dying. Every time she coughed it felt like the motion was ripping her throat apart, and the room was so stark that no matter how hard she tried she couldn't quite seem to focus on anything.

She barely registered the second person entering the room, didn't even realize anyone was there at all until they had placed their hands firmly to her back and chest to force her into a proper upright sitting position, and slid what Alex assumed was a bucket of some kind in front of her. She thought she heard the voice of a woman say something, but she couldn't be sure. Alex couldn't bring herself to look up at the person, too consumed in her own painful coughing at the moment to bring her head up, but she did notice from the corner of her eye that the person was wearing a white coat, and suddenly the realization of where Alex must be brought on a whole new wave of anxiety.

Suddenly her coughing became more violent and Alex struggled to breathe even more than before. Being vaguely aware that the person holding her up must be a doctor, and having less than fond memories of the doctors who handled her case all those years ago, Alex suddenly felt the urge to get away from this person. She pushed against their hold, trying to pry their hands away from her own body.

"Calm down Miss Cross. You're okay." Came the woman's voice Alex thought she had heard before.

If Alex had been in a more rational state of mind she may have been soothed by the pleasant and calm sounding voice, but she was certainly not in a state to be calmed down in this moment. She was too worked up, and when she coughed so hard that she thought she'd torn apart her own throat, the thick red liquid that spilled from her lips set her over the edge.

A wave of unwanted memories swarmed back into her mind as she began to thrash in her captors arms more violently. She saw her mother, engulfed in red, her eyes vacant and looking at nothing. She saw her own face, hollow on one side, but a perpetual flow of red emanating from her right eye. It was too much. Alex needed to get out before she suffocated; she needed to get out now.

She suddenly heard the voice next to her call out urgently.

"Nurse! I need a sedative! Quickly!"

Even is Alex's hazed state of consciousness she understood what 'sedative' meant, and she was not about to let whoever this doctor was rob her of her consciousness again!

She suddenly mustered all the strength she had and shoved as hard as she could against the woman holding her down. Alex wasn't sure how hard her shove had actually been, but it must have been enough because the woman let go for a fraction of a second; and that's all the time Alex needed. Her adrenaline suddenly kicking her senses into overdrive, Alex quickly scanned the small room with her still slightly foggy eyes. She was in a hospital of some kind for sure. The walls were white, the bed was white, and a white curtain surrounded the portion of the bed not surrounded by the walls. The curtain was her escape route.

Feeling a slight stinging sensation in her arm again, Alex looked down and finally realized the origin of the pain. There was some kind of drip lodged into her right arm. She ripped it out unceremoniously and threw it across the room.

In the corner of her eye, Alex registered someone getting to their feet on her left. It must have been the woman who was holding Alex previously. Not giving her a second glance, and not giving her the chance to grab Alex again, because Alex was certain that if she did, she would not escape again; Alex sprung from the bed towards the curtain on her right, stumbling awkwardly in her slightly dazed state before catching her footing again. She whipped the curtain open and bolted for the nearest door, ignoring the concerned eyes that followed her.

The winding halls confused Alex in her dazed state, but she didn't stop running for a second, stumbling down staircases, whipping around corners, and pushing through heavy doors until finally the crisp night air swept across her face and Alex took the first non-strained breath she'd taken since regaining consciousness.

She just stood there for a moment, catching her ragged breath and scanning the area for familiarity, noticing after a few moments that she was still on the Overwatch Academy campus. She must have been taken to the medical facility used for the students then.

The cool night air bit at Alex's skin, and she was thankful that the doctor had apparently left her fully clothed in her own clothing. She was also thankful that she'd somehow managed to avoid her clothes when she was throwing up earlier, although she was still unsure if she had actually thrown anything besides blood up in the first place.

Alex shivered. She needed to keep moving before the doctor and nurses followed her, but every place she thought to go to felt suddenly unsafe. Alex didn't have the time to dwell on what had happened to put her in the hospital yet, she needed to get out first. Not just of the hospital, or of the academy, but of Overwatch in general. Alex had a sinking feeling in her stomach and somehow she wasn't sure if she could bring herself to trust them now.

Flashes of those golden orbs and blue skin tried to seep their way into Alex's thoughts, but she shoved them down as best she could. She had more pressing issues to deal with right now. She had to get away. Still not sure where she should go, Alex just started running again.

She ran past the academy's entrance gate, and down the long road that lead into the city. The city was still abuzz and Alex figured she probably could have stayed at some hotel there, but something about being amongst that light, amongst the people had Alex feeling vulnerable, like somehow they'd find her there, like _she'd_ find her there. Before she reached the city itself, Alex made a turn off a narrow road, not really sure where it would lead her but not really caring in that particular moment. Now that she'd started running, she couldn't quite bring herself to stop. Adrenaline. Fear. Alex wasn't sure what it was that kept her running, but she kept going until she was far enough away from the city's lights to be surrounded by the dark of the night again. Thankfully the moon happened to be out on this particular night, so at least it wasn't dark enough that Alex couldn't see where she was going, even without her mechanical eye.

Alex slowed into a walk and kept walking until she found herself of all places, at a cemetery. She found a park bench and collapsed onto it, laughing at the irony of it all. It had felt like she'd died today so of all the places for her to stumble upon Alex couldn't believe it was a cemetery. She continued her irrational outburst of laughter, until she remembered where she was and suddenly felt bad, like she might have been insulting the dead or something.

'I mean, would they even care? They're dead?' Alex mused to herself, suddenly bursting out into an uncontrollable laughter again. To an onlooker, Alex thought she might look insane in that moment. Sitting alone in a cemetery in the middle of the night, laughing hysterically. Alex had to admit, she felt a little insane in that moment. Everything felt surreal, like nothing had ever been real in the first place. Maybe this was it? Maybe Alex had reached her breaking point and she'd never return to the world of the sane again. It was far less painful than having to accept the reality that she was trying so hard to avoid right now.

After what felt like hours, Alex's laughter finally died down, and instead was replaced with emotional apathy. She just stared across the field in front of her, feeling detached from her surroundings, detached from even her own body. Alex just sat there like that for hours, until she was suddenly pulled from her trance when a drop of water fell onto her cheek. Alex looked up, thinking at first that it might have been rain, but when nothing followed, Alex suddenly realized that the drop of water had come from her. She hadn't even realized she'd been crying, or that her hand had found its way inside her leather jacket's left, zipped up pocket, grasping the piece of paper that resided there.

It seemed that no matter how hard Alex had tried to be a good person, how hard she had tried to take the path Daishin had wanted for her, her path was always going to lead her here. Alex had deluded herself with ideas of heroics and friendship and new beginnings, but deep down she knew she'd eventually choose this path for herself. For the second time that night Alex couldn't help but chuckle at the irony of it all. How fitting for her to choose the path Daishin wouldn't have wanted for her at a cemetery, a place that he too was currently residing, on the other side of the world, in the town where she grew up that felt so long ago.

Alex tightened her hand around the piece of paper in her pocket, before finally giving in and pulling it out in front of her. She stared at the familiar handwriting on the envelope in front of her, illuminated enough for her to read in the moonlight, and slowly opened Daishin's second letter.

_Alex._

_So this is the decision you've made my child. There is no shame in seeking answers, in fact I've come to believe your curiosity and desire for knowledge are two of your strongest attributes. What you're about to read is all of the information I was able to gather about the night you lost your parents. I'm sure it is bound to stir up some unwarranted emotions and memories for you. All I ask my young student, is that you do not let this matter consume you. There is a difference between seeking answers and seeking revenge young one, and I pray that you are able to distinguish this difference in your grief._

_As I stated in the previous letter, the records surrounding that night have been hidden well, and I was not able to ascertain much. All I have are records of where your family home was situated, as I understand you were never able to fully remember where you came from, or how you ended up in Bradford, and the name of an organization._

_First of all, your parents. I understand you remember them vaguely, but you were never able to remember their full names, and by extent your own name beyond your first name. Your father originated from England, and his name was Arthur Valentine. Your mother was French, Isabelle Belrose, and at the time of the incident, the three of you were living in Paris._

Alex flinched slightly at the mention of 'French', the word reminding her too much of another woman involved in that night, but still, finally knowing her parent's full names, and now her own full name, gave her a sense of fulfillment she didn't know was missing from her life until that moment. She rolled the names around on her tongue a few times, setting them into her memory.

'Alex Valentine'. She mused to herself, not sure how she felt about the name revelation of her own, before continuing to read what she knew deep down she was really after in these letters: who was responsible.

_From what I have deducted, your parents were hiding out in Paris at the time, and went through extensive measures to hide your identity to their pursuers. There are very few documents alluding to your existence at all. As for your parents, I have found paper trails linking the name 'Valentine' to a particular organization, but every lead I found was cut off before I was able to dig too deeply. Alex, I'm not sure who your parents were, but it seems your father was involved with this organization to some extent, but something occurred to make him leave and go into hiding with Isabelle and yourself. It seems that it was this same organization who ordered the assassination of your parents that night. You mentioned an assassin with blue skin, and while I was never able to discover the identity of this person, as this organization's records are highly classified and not easily accessible, I do have the name of that organization. The organization responsible for your parent's deaths that night is called TALON._

_I'm not sure why this assassin let you go young one, but considering the effort your parents went to, to keep your existence a secret, there is a very good chance that TALON never knew of your existence, and as such you were not a part of this assassin's 'mission'. This does not in any way excuse their actions regarding your parents however, and you have every right to hate this person, and this organization._

_However. Alex, I must ask you to proceed with caution should you decide to look into this matter further. The rumors surrounding TALON are quite horrendous, and I feel I must warn against digging too far into their matters. I understand this must be frustrating to hear after finally learning the identity of those responsible for your parent's deaths, but again, young student, I must urge you to look to your future rather than letting your past consume you._

_Whatever you decide to do with this information, I know you will not make the decision lightly, and know that I support you fully in whatever decision you make._

_May your future be a bright one, my daughter._

_Daishin._

After all these years, Alex finally had a name to put behind the blue assassin she'd seen that night, the same woman she was sure she'd seen again earlier that day, and while it was not her name specifically, Alex had something even better. She had the name of the people pulling the strings, the people at the top, the people who had ordered the assassination of her parents: TALON.

* * *

A constant buzzing against Alex's thigh slowly brought her back into the world of the living. She opened her groggy eyes slowly and coughed at her exceedingly dry throat. She glanced at the origin of the buzzing, realizing it must be her phone ringing from her pocket. Alex sat up on the park bench slowly, stretching out the kinks in her neck and back from sleeping in an awkward position. 'Sleeping' was a loose term for the last few hours of sub-par rest Alex had gotten though. After everything she had experienced and learned that day, and not to mention the less than ideal location she'd chosen to reside, sleeping had been difficult to say the least. Alex's head felt heavy, her migraine so intense she thought her head might actually implode. That coupled with the burning sensation emanating from her dried out throat, well let's just say Alex had seen better days.

Rubbing her head with her right hand in an attempt to ease her migraine, Alex pulled her phone out of her jeans pocket now that it had stopped buzzing. She wasn't in the mood to talk to anyone in this particular moment. She had 9 missed calls from Lena, and Alex briefly wondered how she'd slept through all that buzzing considering the shitty sleep she'd had. Seeing Lena's name pop up brought on a pang of guilt. The woman was probably worried about Alex. Checking the time on her phone, it was 9am and Alex had been gone the entire night now. She wasn't sure what time she had left the hospital at the academy, but she'd practically bolted out of there in the dead of the night, and she was sure the doctor there would have informed lecturers who then informed Lena, knowing that she was a friend of Alex's. Suddenly Alex had to fight back the urge to vomit at the thought of who it was that probably told Lena that Alex was missing. _That_ woman. Alex couldn't help but frown in disgust at the thought of the woman, and the thought of Lena being so close to that woman. _That_ woman. She was a _monster_. How could Lena possibly…

"Yikes. That's an intimidating face to have first thing in the morning."

Alex suddenly jumped up in defense at the sound of the amused voice beside her, not even realizing someone had sat down next to her. When Alex saw who it was however, she rolled her eyes at herself, of course she wouldn't have seen this woman coming.

Despite the fact that Alex didn't trust this woman at all, of all the people she could run into in this moment, this woman wasn't the worst possibility she could think of. Feeling even just slightly better for the distraction from her own clusterfuck of emotions, Alex scoffed at the tan-skinned woman and sat back down beside her, scoffing.

"Maybe it's because somebody interrupted my peace?" Alex replied sassily, her voice coarser than she anticipated after her coughing fit last night.

"Please Amiga, you didn't even know I was here until I spoke up."

Alex eyed the Latina woman next to her suspiciously. She wasn't dressed in her nurse getup today, but Alex had figured she was never really a nurse to begin with. Instead she wore a weirdly intricate purple dress getup, with purple tights and her weird almost clawed gloves. Alex wasn't quite sure what this woman's deal was, but she definitely screamed 'shady'.

Suddenly a memory came back to Alex.

"It was you who texted me about the student ID wasn't it?" Alex said, less as a question and more as a realization to herself.

"You're welcome." The woman replied smoothly.

"How did you know I needed it?" Alex asked accusingly.

"Why are you sleeping in a cemetery?" The woman asked back in the same tone, but with a hint of mischief.

Alex went to speak, but caught the words before they left her mouth, sitting back in a huff and folding her arms across her chest.

The woman next to her smirked triumphantly, before replying nonchalantly:

"I just, know things."

The two sat in silence for a moment before Alex spoke up defiantly in her increasingly coarse voice:

"I'm still not telling you why I'm here."

The woman next to Alex chuckled, which irritated Alex even more, before replying smoothly:

"That's okay Amiga, it's just another thing for me to find out eventually."

Alex scoffed and tightened her grip around her body. She'd slept outside all night but it was especially cold this morning.

"What's your name anyway? You know mine, it only seems fair that I know yours."

"Ahh, but Amiga I still don't know your real name do I?" The woman replied, quirking an eyebrow.

Alex considered for a moment. Telling this woman anything about her was definitely a bad idea, and in the first place Alex hadn't even known her own name until a few hours ago.

"I don't know my real name." Alex lied, before continuing:

"Besides, I doubt you'd tell me your real name anyway?" Alex challenged, raising her eyebrow at the woman just as she had done.

The woman's smile grew larger, if that were even possible, and she considered for a moment before finally replying:

"Sombra."

Alex leaned further back against the seat.

'Sombra'. She thought to herself. She highly doubted it was the woman's real name, but regardless, at least now she had a name to put to the annoyingly conniving, untrustworthy face.

That sat in silence for a while, and when Alex realized this Sombra was apparently not going to continue the conversation, Alex finally spoke up.

"So what are you doing at this cemetery so early in the morning Sombra?" Alex asked with a hint of sass.

Alex didn't think it was possible for a person to smirk as much and as deviously as this woman did, but apparently she was wrong, because Sombra's smirk deepened yet again.

"I'm doing some recruiting." She replied matter-of-factly.

"Recruiting?" Alex asked cynically.

"Yep. Recruiting. It just so happens that I have a job I'm in need of some…assistance for, and I also happen to know a little fox who owes me…" The woman replied, raising her eyebrow suggestively at Alex.

Alex groaned internally and rolled her eyes. Why had she let this woman get under her skin like this?

* * *

As the large black car pulled over just on the outskirts of Harmony in front of a small singular building, Alex was suddenly reminded of the whole 'don't get into vehicles with strangers' phrase that adults liked to say to children. Technically Sombra wasn't really a stranger? Did that fact help ease Alex's mind and not convince her that she was about to be brutally murdered and left for dead at some random building in the middle of nowhere? Not so much.

Alex audibly gulped as the car pulled over, being driven by some mysterious driver whom Alex had yet to actually see, seeing as the back area of the vehicle was sectioned off by a pull up partition. Sombra must have noticed her discomfort because she suddenly burst out laughing in the seat beside Alex.

"Relajarse! I'm not going to kill you. We just pulled over so you could clean up."

Alex looked at the other woman skeptically.

"Clean up?"

"Sí. Clean up. No offense Amiga but you look like shit, and smell about as bad."

Alex scoffed at the older woman, offended.

She looked down at her stained clothes though, turns out some of the blood she'd coughed up had in fact reached her clothing, and she could still taste the uncomfortable metallic sensation on her lips. She hadn't showered since yesterday morning, and had slept outside last night after running for god knows how long. So maybe she didn't look her best at the moment…

Grunting in annoyance, Alex pushed open the car door in a huff, determined not to let the older woman see the slight tinge of embarrassment painted across her cheeks. Before she could vacate the vehicle however, a strong grip pulled her back into the car.

Alex turned around in a huff.

"What?!" She barked with a little more annoyance than she had intended, which strained her sore throat in just the wrong way, causing her to cough loudly, bringing on more pain.

"Calm down, jeez! Here." Sombra said in her ever amused tone, handing Alex a small bag.

When Alex looked at the bag quizzically, Sombra sighed.

"It's got cleaning stuff in it, y'know soap and toothpaste. Change into those clothes too." Sombra stated in a bored tone, waving her hand in the air as if to say Alex should know what to do with it.

Alex looked at the other woman in wonder.

"How did you- You know what? I don't even want to know." Alex finished in a huff before pushing herself out of the vehicle and slamming the door with a fair amount of enthusiasm, before stomping off into the public bathroom.

As much as Alex hated to admit it, and she would never in a million years actually thank the woman sitting in the car outside, showering and being able to brush her teeth felt immensely refreshing after everything that had happened. She also gulped down some of the water from the sink, not entirely sure if it was drinkable, but not entirely caring enough to bother checking. Her throat felt like it was on fire and anything to relieve the pain was welcomed. Somehow it felt like she was able to wash away a small portion of her worries in that moment, although if she dwelled on that thought too much she knew it wasn't anywhere close to being the truth.

The clothes that Sombra had given Alex were a perfect fit, and she pondered for a moment how the other woman could have possibly known her size, before realizing that she didn't know how that woman knew most of the things she knew. She'd been given a black pair of jeans, and Alex smiled when she noticed the rips in the knee sections, just how she liked. Other than that she'd been given a plain black set of underwear, again the thought of Sombra knowing her size a little creepy, a plain back top, and a deep red leather jacket with a pullover hood. While Alex appreciated the other woman's attempt to match her regular style of clothing, she wasn't sure how she felt about the red, but she figured she was being given new clothes for free, she probably shouldn't complain about it.

Alex looked up into the mirror after dressing and inspected her right eye. The outer area was beginning to redden, and Alex had begun to feel the irritation of not cleaning it for a couple of days since this morning when she woke up. She rubbed at it, annoyed that she didn't have any of her cleaning products with her. Just as she was about to give up rubbing and leave the small room, a sudden cough from the doorway caused her to jump in surprise.

She was met with the smug face of Sombra, which added to her irritation tenfold.

"Can you stop fucking doing that?!" She practically barked at the other woman.

The other woman sauntered over to the basin beside the girl, ignoring her irritation completely.

"Take it out for me." She stated matter of factly.

Alex looked at her, as if Sombra had suggested something incredulous.

"Take _what_ out?!"

Sombra sighed and rolled her eyes.

"You eye Amiga. Take it out."

Alex instinctively raised her hand to her right eye in defense, glaring at the other woman incredulously.

Sombra rolled her eyes more elaborately this time at the girl's impudence.

"I have something to give you, and you need to clean it yes? It doesn't take a genius to recognize that it's irritating you." Sombra stated matter of factly.

Alex eyed the other woman suspiciously before asking:

"Something to give me?"

"Sí. It's an upgrade of sorts. I need you to use it for this little job today. I'll take it out after if you want me to."

Alex continued to eye the woman suspiciously, not moving her hand from her face.

Sombra sighed loudly and took a step closer to Alex, pulling out a small chip and showing it to Alex.

"Jeez you're annoying kid. It's just a spec upgrade to allow you to see further and through solid objects okay? You're a mechanic right? See for yourself."

Sombra said in a huff, handing the chip to Alex to inspect.

After a few moments of close inspection, Alex couldn't find anything about the chip that would lead her to believe it was anything but what Sombra said it was. After giving it some thought, she deducted that at the very least it wouldn't hurt her. If Sombra had wanted to do that she'd already had ample opportunity. What did worry Alex was that the woman may have planted some kind of tracking device in the 'upgrade'. She had said that Alex could take it out after though?

Alex sighed heavily, deciding that she was already too far into this mess to back out now, and if she was being perfectly honest, despite the possible _illegal_ implications of helping Sombra, it was a much needed distraction from everything and everyone she was currently avoiding.

"Fine." She replied, rolling her eyes, before adding: "But you have to turn around while I take it out."

Despite everything, Alex was still sensitive about how she looked without her eye.

Sombra took the chip back and just rolled her eyes, turning away from Alex and waving her hand as an indication that Alex should proceed.

Alex eyed the other woman for a moment, as if testing whether or not she would turn around, before she finally leaned into the mirror and removed her mechanical eye. Sombra had left the cleaning products on the basin too, which Alex proceeded to make use of. Once the eye was cleaned and dried, Alex held one hand up to her face and held the eye out to Sombra's back.

"Here." She stated bluntly.

Sombra took her queue and turned around to face the younger woman, glancing curiously at the younger girl as she covered her face, before grabbing the mech eye that was being handed to her and going ahead with the installation of the upgrade. It took around 10 minutes for the chip to be fully installed, but once it was done Alex was surprised that Sombra turned back around to face away from Alex once she'd handed her back her eye. Alex inspected the piece of equipment for a moment, and after determining it was safe, placed it back into her eye socket, switching it back on.

She grunted softly, indicating that Sombra could turn around again.

"How does it feel?" Sombra asked.

"Less irritating." Alex stated bluntly.

Sombra rolled her eyes and added:

"How does the upgrade feel? Has the x-ray vision been installed correctly? Tell me what's in my pocket."

Alex looked down to where the other woman indicated on her dress coat.

It took a little for Alex to figure out the focusing technique to achieve x-ray vision, but once she was able to lock on, she noticed a rectangular piece of tech, probably a tablet. Something appeared on the screen, text it looked like. After a little more focusing of the eye, the words 'Thank you for the upgrade Sombra' appeared in her vision.

Alex looked up at the other woman and rolled her eyes.

"Really?" She asked sarcastically.

Sombra laughed, before replying:

"I'll take that as a yes. The x-ray vision. It'll allow you to see hidden tech through almost any surface."

Alex took a moment to glance around the room, locking onto the car parked outside through the bathroom wall and sighing in wonder.

"Is that even legal?" She asked curiously.

Sombra ignored her question though, which didn't go unnoticed by Alex, and fished into a bag she had placed on the basin, pulling out something that was deep red, and handing it to Alex.

At first Alex thought it was a scarf or something, but after turning it over she realized it was a wig.

"Really?" She asked unenthused.

"Sí. Really." Sombra simply stated back.

It took a moment for Alex to fix her own messy hair up, and manoeuvre the wig into a natural looking position, but when she was done, she looked into the mirror, shocked at how something as simple as changing her hair colour seemed to change her. The wig was about as long as her natural hair, but a bit straighter and far less messy looking. She looked like a different person, and suddenly the red leather jacket made sense. Alex took a moment to take her personal belongings out of her old leather jacket and place them in her red one, Daishin's letter included, but made it very clear to Sombra that she would be keeping her old clothes and that Sombra was not to get rid of them.

Once she'd packed up all of her belongings into a small backpack, Sombra handed her another item, this one much smaller and pitch black. After unraveling the small piece of fabric, Alex realized it was an eye patch.

She looked up at the older woman quizzically.

"So you gave my eye an upgrade, and now you want me to cover it up?" She asked mockingly.

"It's for your regular eye Amiga. Once we leave here we'll be heading into the city. It'll provide you cover during our job should we run into any…resistance. This way, all people will remember seeing is the girl with red hair and an eye patch."

Alex looked at the eye patch suspiciously, not too happy with the way Sombra had said the word 'resistance'. Despite feeling that she would regret it later, Alex secured the eye patch to her natural eye and looked back at herself in the mirror, not even recognizing herself.

"See, you're like a totally different person. With your people at the academy out looking for you, it would be troublesome for both of us if someone saw us together and recognized you.

Alex frowned at the other woman's words.

"How do you know they're-"

But Alex cut herself off before she finished her sentence, not even sure why she bothered asking in the first place.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm back! My last semester was killer so I apologize for the lack of updates! The next chapter should be up really soon though as I've already started writing it! I'm really liking writing the dynamic between Alex and Sombra, Sombra's such a fun character! Anyway, hope you guys like the chapter and please any feedback is always appreciated!


	19. Chapter 19

Alex scanned the small café she and Sombra currently resided in suspiciously. Despite the fact that people merely seemed to be going about their days, Alex couldn't shake the feeling that something was off about this situation. Sombra had asked for her help with some job which Alex had a sneaking suspicion was going to fall on the not side of legal, but instead of taking her to some shady warehouse or organization like Alex had expected, Sombra had brought Alex to a small café in the middle of Harmony's main street of all places.

Alex eyed the older woman suspiciously. What was she up to?

Suddenly a plate of pancakes stacked with cream and various fruits was placed in front of Alex, and a second in front of Sombra. The plates were followed by a hot coffee, placed on Sombra's side of their small round table, and an iced coffee on Alex's side. The pleasant Omnic who'd served them then wished the two a happy meal and left them in relative peace.

Sombra wasted no time in placing her tablet aside and scoffing down the food in front of her. Alex watched the unfazed woman incredulously, before glancing down at her own pancakes, eyeing them suspiciously. She looked back up to Sombra, who continued to ignore her. In fact, the woman had pretty much ignored her from the moment they sat down in the small café, busying herself with something on her tablet and ordering for the two of them, without even asking Alex what she wanted, to her irritation.

Sombra hadn't told Alex why they'd stopped here or if it was part of her 'job', and quite frankly Alex was getting tired of being left in the dark. She shifted in her seat uncomfortably and cleared her throat:

"What is this?" She asked skeptically.

Sombra finally glanced up at her for the first time since they'd sat down, swallowing the piece of strawberry in her mouth, she replied sarcastically:

"It's pancakes?"

Alex rolled her eyes at the older woman, huffing, before leaning in slightly and asking in a more serious tone:

"Yes, but why are we _here_?"

Alex glanced obviously around the small café Sombra had led them into.

"Well it's a café. We're here to have breakfast." Sombra replied matter of factly, before adding:

"You do know what breakfast is don't you?" in a mocking tone, chuckling as she took a sip of her coffee.

Alex clicked her tongue at the other woman, irritated, before slumping back into her chair.

"So you followed me all the way out to that cemetery just to invite me to breakfast?" Alex asked sarcastically, rolling her eyes.

Sombra glanced at the pouting girl, amused, before replying:

"What, can't a girl treat her friend to something nice?"

Alex rolled her eyes again before muttering under her breath:

"We are not friends…"

Before Sombra could reply with another snide remark, Alex's phone began buzzing from its place on the table in front of her, for the 3rd time since they'd been sitting there. Alex didn't even need to look at the caller ID to know who was calling her. Every time the phone buzzed it sent a surge of uncomfortable emotions swirling around inside Alex: guilt, sadness, pain, anger, betrayal. Alex couldn't pull herself together enough at the moment to even think about dealing with the person on the other end of the line, so she just ignored it like she had done with the previous calls.

Sombra glanced at the phone curiously, and Alex got the impression that Sombra knew who was calling her, the curiosity seemed to be more aimed at her desire not to answer. Sombra raised her eyebrow at Alex and looked like she was going to mention it, but something about the way Alex looked at her must have changed her mind, because she started on a different topic instead.

"Eat up Amiga. You look like you haven't eaten for a while, and the last thing I need is for you to pass out half way through our job today." Sombra stated, waving her hand at Alex's untouched plate as an indicator that she should eat.

Alex stared at the food in front of her. She hated to admit it, but she was starving. She hadn't eaten since lunch yesterday and the fresh pancakes in front of her smelled amazing. It was taking all of her self-control just to pout for as long as she had, not wanting to give the other woman the satisfaction of giving in right away.

Alex made a point of rolling her eyes dramatically, before sitting up and reluctantly cutting off a small section of her pancakes and placing it into her mouth. It tasted amazing, even if it did scratch at her dried throat a little, and it took all of Alex's resolve not to moan in pleasure. There was no way she was giving Sombra that satisfaction.

The two women ate in silence for a few moments, which Alex didn't mind honestly now that she was eating. She decided her dry throat needed some hydration when a piece of pancake scratched at it the wrong way, causing the pain from last night's coughing session to flare up slightly. She stared at the iced coffee in front of her, then over at Sombra's hot coffee.

"You know I can drink hot coffee too. I'm not a little kid…" She stated, pouting slightly.

Sombra smirked behind the coffee cup she was holding to her lips.

"Are you sure Amiga? You've got this 'annoying brat' thing down pat though?" Sombra teased.

Alex glared at the older woman, unimpressed, and completely tired of her antics. Instead of biting back like she normally would have, Alex gulped down some of her iced coffee, the irritation in her throat overwhelming her desire to retaliate.

After a few more moments of silence, Sombra spoke up unexpectedly.

"I thought the coldness would be better for your throat."

Alex looked up at the woman, slightly surprised. While Sombra hadn't lifted her eyes from her tablet and food while speaking, Alex couldn't detect the usual hint of sarcasm or teasing in her voice either. Did that mean she was being genuine?

Alex chuckled internally at the thought. She doubted it.

Once both women had finally finished their food and the majority of their drinks, Sombra spoke up again.

"You done?" She asked, to which Alex simple replied with a hum of agreement.

"Good, then let's get started."

Sombra pushed her plate to the side, replacing it with her tablet so that it was now directly in front of her. She swiped at the screen a few times when suddenly a holographic image appeared in Alex's mechanical eye, as if she were looking at a screen about a foot away from her at eye-level that nobody else could see. The sudden, unexpected appearance of the screen surprised Alex, and she slid back in her chair slightly, exclaiming a little too loudly:

"Holy shit!"

A few of the patrons that were closer to their table turned to look their way, muttering phrases of displeasure towards them, while some rolled their eyes. Alex glared at the ones that lingered, who soon turned away when they caught her sight. It took a moment for Alex to realize why they must have felt so uncomfortable under her gaze when she remembered the eye patch. She probably looked like some kind of criminal; she certainly felt like one.

When she turned her attention back to Sombra and the screen, Sombra was looking at her with an amused expression plastered across her irritating face.

Alex clicked her tongue in annoyance before asking seriously under her breath:

"Can you fucking warn me before you do shit like that?!"

Sombra just chuckled, replying teasingly:

"Yikes! Such a harsh tongue for such a pretty girl."

Alex just rolled her eyes at the woman, before inspecting the screen in front of her. There was a picture of a man, probably in his mid-forties, Caucasian, receding hairline, thick mustache. Next to his picture was his name: Walter Simons, and then a lot of information that Alex didn't particularly care about.

"Who is this guy?" Alex asked curiously, not entirely sure if she wanted the answer or not.

"Oh? Considering you're a student at Overwatch Academy I'm surprised you don't know." Sombra stated, before adding in a mocking tone:

"I mean, you _are_ still a student there aren't you?"

Alex simply rolled her eyes at the other woman and clicked her tongue in irritation. She wasn't going to answer the woman, partly because she was sick of her antics and just wanted to get this job over and done with, but partly because she didn't really want to have to think about that right now, because she honestly didn't know. At the very least it definitely seemed like she'd be skipping out on classes today, and after what happened yesterday, after _who_ she saw yesterday, Alex wasn't entirely sure she wanted to go back…

Thankfully, Sombra continued speaking before Alex could dwell on that thought too much.

"Walter Simons is among the bigger investors for Overwatch, more specifically, the Academy. He's in the city at the moment to meet with your headmaster, the ape."

"Winston." Alex provided in a bored tone.

"Yeah, Winston or whatever. Simons likes to check in on the progress of his investments on a regular basis, but the who and why aren't so much as important as the what." Sombra continued.

"The what?" Alex asked, confused.

Sombra smirked.

"Walter Simons is currently in possession of a certain piece of tech I've been trying to track down for a while now. His little trip to Harmony here just so happened to coincide with some free time I managed to pull out of my own busy schedule."

"Your busy schedule? Of doing what again?" Alex asked in an accusatory tone.

"I told you Amiga. I work on a freelance basis." Sombra replied smoothly.

"Yeah, freelance doing what? Stealing tech?" Alex replied bluntly.

"Maybe I'm stealing it back?" Sombra stated, raising her eyebrow at Alex in a challenging manner.

Alex narrowed her eyes at the other woman, before rising to the challenge, raising her eyebrow in a similar manner and replying:

"Are you?"

The two women held their glares for a few moments longer, neither seeming to want to recede, until finally Sombra let out a chuckle and replied in a light tone:

"It's probably better that you know as little as possible."

* * *

Alex panted slightly as she pulled herself over the white, stone balcony, landing gracefully on the other side and retracting the cords from the grappling hooks Sombra had given her. She scanned the immediate area, taking care that she hadn't been caught, despite Sombra's unconvincing reassurances that she was clear. Once satisfied, she backed up to the furthest side of the balcony so she wouldn't be seen through the automatic door that led inside. She let out a sigh of relief now that she was on solid ground again. Alex wasn't particularly afraid of heights, but after practically hanging from balcony to balcony for about 20 floors with little in the ways of solid perching beneath her, she was glad to finally be able to crouch on solid ground again.

"Remind me again why I had to be the one to scale the building from the outside?"

Sombra's sarcastic voice streamed through the comms device the older woman gave Alex earlier:

"Oh I'm sorry, do you know how to hack into hotel security systems?"

Alex offered only an annoyed grunt in response.

Alex was unsurprised that the little 'job' Sombra had requested her help with required her to do something illegal. Despite her reservations about the whole scenario and Sombra in general, if she was being perfectly honest this was not the first time Alex had broken into a building. When she was a kid she'd broken into stores often to steal things, just small things, things the orphanage wouldn't allow her. In fact she'd met Daishin in that very same predicament, after he'd caught her trying to steal from his shop. The memory made her smile. She'd been shit scared at the time, being the first time she was ever caught in the act, and Daishin could be more than a little intimidating when he wanted to be.

After Daishin had taken her in though she didn't have any reason to steal anymore. Daishin kept her occupied enough for her to not particularly need anything else. That's not to say Alex gave up the act entirely though. One of her favourite things to do back in Bradford was sneaking into the local cinema to watch movies for free, much to Daishin's chagrin. Alex was good at it too, and it was partly Daishin's fault for teaching her how to move stealthily and flexibly with ease. The thought caused Alex to chuckle under her breath. She wondered what Daishin would think of her using those skills for something like she was doing now.

She was suddenly drawn from her thoughts upon hearing the startled sound of a man from Sombra's end of the line, followed by some crashing sounds and grunts from what sounded like more than one man, and then finally a resounding thump. The line stayed quiet for a moment before Sombra spoke up again.

"I'm in."

Alex furrowed her brow, replying uncertainly:

"You didn't kill them did you?"

"Relajarse! They're just unconscious." Sombra spoke up, dismissing Alex.

Alex decided to believe her, despite never quite knowing when the other woman was being serious or not.

"Okay, security cameras and alarm systems down. The room's empty, you're good to go in Fox."

Alex raised her eyebrows at the nickname, even though Sombra couldn't actually see her.

"Fox?" She replied sarcastically.

"Everyone needs a code name, you wouldn't want me just calling you by your first name on a mission." Sombra replied smoothly.

Alex stood up cautiously, approaching the automatic glass door slowly, still on high alert in case Sombra had lied and there were any guards still in the room. The doors opened for her automatically as she approached, courtesy of Sombra's handiwork, and she proceeded into the room cautiously, scanning for any movement. After scanning each room and being satisfied that she was alone, Alex relaxed slightly. She sighed, and then spoke into the comms device.

"So you're okay with me calling you Sombra while on the mission then?" She asked cockily.

She was met with an amused chuckle from Sombra's end of the line.

"Oh sweetie. Sombra _is_ my code name."

Alex rolled her eyes while inspecting the room.

"I suppose I should have guessed that. And here I thought we were close enough to exchange real names." Alex stated mockingly.

"I'll tell if you do." Sombra replied suggestively.

Alex considered only for a moment, curiosity eating at her mind, before she decided again that sharing anything too personal with this woman was a terrible idea, not that she had any doubts the woman would find a way to find out on her own eventually anyway.

"That's a hard pass." Alex finally replied bluntly, before adding:

"What's with you and the whole 'Fox' nickname though?"

"I told you Amiga, your mind, you think like a fox. It's why I got you the red wig, now you match your code name." Sombra replied.

"Oh how thoughtful of you." Alex replied sarcastically, kicking the corner of the stupidly large lounge in the middle of the room.

"Besides." Sombra began, before adding in a teasing tone:

"Foxes are cute."

Alex hoped to god that that the security feed for the room was shut off, or at the very least Sombra wasn't looking at it, because the last thing she wanted was for the older woman to see the blush that creeped up her cheeks at the implication.

Alex scoffed to shake it off, trying her best to sound unfazed by the remark but grimacing when she stuttered a little on her reply:

"W-whatever. Just tell me what I'm looking for again?"

Alex was sure she could feel Sombra's knowing smirk through the line, but did her best to ignore it and the humoured tone Sombra replied in.

"It'll be small and square-ish. It'll look a little like a hard drive. I've coded your eye so that it'll show up bright red once you lock onto it. It'll help distinguish it from other tech."

Focusing back on the mission and by extent getting the hell out of there, Alex scanned the room she was in, carefully focusing her eye on every surface to locate the tech that Sombra was after. Having no luck in the living room, Alex moved onto the small kitchen area, followed by the bedroom, and the bathroom. The process took the better part of 30 minutes, seeing as the hotel room was so large and this guy seemed to have a million possessions lying around.

Alex scoffed at the over-the-top extravagance of the room, and how much money someone like this Simons guy must have to throw around to be able to afford a place like this.

"Did you find it yet?" Sombra's slightly edged voice came through her ear suddenly.

Alex finished scanning the bathroom she was currently standing in and sighed.

"I don't think it's in here."

"Shit." Came Sombra's irritated voice from the other end of the line.

"Looks like we're out of time Amiga, Simons car just pulled into the level 5 car park."

"Are you sure he brought it to Harmony with him?" Alex asked with a little more accusation than she intended. If Sombra had dragged her into this mess for nothing she was going to be pissed though.

"Oh he brought it little Fox. Something this valuable? There's no way he'd leave it behin-THAT'S IT!" Sombra cut herself off suddenly, laughing loudly from the other end of the line.

Alex tapped her foot, irritated. Sombra might have thought this was funny but considering their target had just pulled in Alex really wanted to get the hell out of _his_ hotel room!

"Not that this entire situation isn't hilarious, but care to fucking fill me in?" Alex asked impatiently through Sombra's laughing fit.

Sombra calmed down, still giggling slightly as she spoke.

"I can't believe I didn't think of it sooner. Of course he wouldn't take it out of his sight! New plan Amiga. Get to the level 5 parking lot by the section B elevator in 2 minutes. I've sent the location to your eye's map of the hotel. I'll meet you there."

Alex frowned, replying in a slightly panicked voice.

"Wait, what? What's the 'new plan'? What about all of the security cameras?"

"Already taken care of. I've fried every security camera in the building, set it up to look like a universal system malfunction. They won't even know we were here."

Alex glanced around the room frantically for a second. She could already hear Sombra collecting her equipment and making to move. Sombra was currently in the security control room, level 1. She'd have no problem getting to the car park in 2 minutes. Alex on the other hand…

Sombra must have picked up on her momentary silence because she was suddenly in her ear again.

"I'd get moving if I were you Amiga. Target's exiting his car now. We've gotta intercept before he reaches that elevator."

Alex's mind was spinning. Somehow, despite everything she'd gotten into so far, she hadn't signed up for this. Instinct and a sense of urgency at her limited time left pushed her out of the room door though, her initial caution pushed into the back of her mind to make way for her main priority now: speed. Alex ran down the hall, dodging past the odd guest and sliding under a room service cart.

"We're intercepting now?! Fuck! Sombra I'm on the twentieth floor how the fuck am I supposed to make it to the car park in two minutes?!" Alex panted into the comms device as she ran down the hall towards the stairwell.

"One and a half now. And I'm sure you'll figure something out. I didn't recruit you because you were an idiot." Sombra replied in her usual teasing tone, apparently not flustered at all about the current predicament they were in.

Alex grunted under her breath in annoyance, and finally reached the stairwell she'd been running towards, an idea sprouting in her mind. When she reached the railing, she thanked the gods that the staircase spun down the floors in a spiral pattern, the middle section empty completely. If she were immortal, she could just jump to the bottom floor from here. Lucky for her, she had some equipment to aid in a crazy idea like that.

Taking a deep breath, Alex shot her right grappling hook at the railing of the staircase on her current level, and jumped lightly up to the edge of the railing. She looked down at the spiraling staircase that plummeted 20 floors below her. Considering she'd scaled the building from the outside already today, this really shouldn't have bothered her, but she gulped nonetheless. Going down was always harder than going up she concluded.

With one last deep breath, Alex stepped over the edge, using the unraveling of the grappling hook to slow her decent. She had to swap between her left and right grappling hooks a few times, neither of them being long enough to safely carry her the full 20 stories, but she finally reached the bottom floor, landing gracefully in a crouching position as she withdrew the final grappling hook. She was just off to the side of the lobby on the first floor, and she earned a few confused looks from some guests in the area, but she ignored them, hoping that what Sombra said was right and they'd only remember the girl with the red hair and the eye patch.

Luckily the elevators were right next to the stairwell so Alex didn't have to run far to reach her destination. She reached the section B elevator, and punched the number for the level 5 car park. The elevator took a few seconds to arrive, upon which Alex threw herself in, bashing the button to close the doors before anyone else would come to step in behind her.

Once the doors finally slid closed in front of Alex, she leaned against the back wall of the elevator and sighed loudly, taking deep breaths.

"20 seconds to spare. I'm impressed little Fox."

Alex jumped slightly at the sound of the amused voice beside her. Again, she hadn't seen the other woman approach her. For that matter, Alex was pretty sure the elevator had been empty when she stepped in, and she's damn sure she would have noticed this woman's annoying face. Alex had suspected before, but now she was almost certain that Sombra must have some kind of cloaking device. She didn't know how else to explain her sudden appearances. Regardless, it would have to be a question she asked at another time. The elevator was rapidly approaching their destination and Alex still wasn't sure what 'intercepting' Simons involved.

Alex stared at the woman next to her, exerting an 'unimpressed' aura, before asking.

"So what's plan B?"

"Just follow my lead little Fox." Sombra said in an almost wicked tone.

Alex got the impression she enjoyed this kind of thing a little too much.

Sombra suddenly pulled out a small, what looked to Alex like a machine gun.

Alex's eye's widened in shock, but before she could say anything Sombra was opening the chamber and speaking up:

"Relajarse. The bullets won't kill. They're just filled with a sedative agent. This guy's gonna have guards that'll have real guns though, which reminds me. Your jacket, it's not just for looks. It's also bullet proof, so don't get any ideas about dying on me" Sombra said in a teasing tone, before winking at Alex.

The wink made Alex blush slightly, and Alex got the feeling that Sombra might have been trying to lighten the mood, sensing the tension in Alex's shoulders. Could Sombra blame her for being tense though? Alex _definitely_ hadn't signed up for bodyguards with _real guns_.

Sombra pulled out her tablet, checking the car park security footage that she'd no doubt routed through it from the security control room.

"Simons has four guards with him. I'll likely be able to take out all of them straight away, but depending on how stupid they are or aren't, they may dodge giving them an opening to shoot at us. That's where your agility and fighting skills come in. I'll distract while you take out whoever remains…"

"Take out?!" Alex suddenly spurted out.

"Knock them out Amiga, jeez!" Sombra stated, sighing, before continuing.

"Then I just need you to keep watch for any extra security while I have a little chat with our target. Clear?"

"Crystal." Alex replied sarcastically, which earned her an amused eye roll from Sombra.

They were one floor away now.

"When the doors open, the target and his guards will be approaching from the right, 15 metres away."

Alex took a deep breath.

'What the fuck have I gotten myself into?' She thought to herself as the elevator approached their destined level.

Before the doors opened, Alex made quick use of Sombra's upgrades to her eye and managed to lock onto a car parked immediately outside the elevator to the right. That would be her cover while Sombra made her presence known.

The doors to the elevator suddenly opened and on instinct Alex immediately lowered her body and darted to her vantage point from behind the car. Sombra followed suit, crouching down beside Alex for a moment. She quickly put her tablet away and glanced at Alex with a smirk on her face. She winked at Alex, before she seemed to fade until she had disappeared from sight completely.

Alex blinked at the empty spot that used to be occupied by Sombra for a few moments before her mind caught up with her.

'I KNEW IT!' She thought to herself triumphantly, as she'd been right about the cloaking technique, and now Sombra had even allowed her to witness it first-hand. Alex wasn't sure what that meant. Revealing a trump card like that to someone you're barely acquainted to didn't seem like the kind of thing Sombra would do. Like herself, Alex had always taken her for the more secretive kind.

Alex didn't have much time to think about it though, because suddenly Sombra's gun was going off and Alex heard the signature drop of a body that followed. That was her cue. Glancing over the hood of the car enough to see the action, Alex noticed that two of the guards had already slumped to the ground, barely 10 metres away from where she was currently hiding. Sombra was taking care of the third, but Alex could already see that the fourth was lining up his shot while Sombra was dealing with his ally.

Alex pounced to her feet like a cat, barely making a sound as she lunged herself forward towards the fourth guard who was simultaneously trying to guard Simons and line up his shot. Simons was standing slightly behind the guard, to his and Alex's left, and both were facing away from Alex towards Sombra and the third guard who had just been hit by one of Sombra's sedative bullets.

The fourth guard had lined up his shot now, and there was no way Sombra would have reacted in time to shoot him before he shot her, but Alex was on top of him now. She leapt into the air, kicking him hard in the back of his leg as she came down, just below the knee, which sent him crashing forward. As he fell to his knees in surprise, he fumbled with the gun, dropping it in front of him before he could regain his composure. He made to grab for it again, fumbling as he went, but Alex was too quick, and she'd already began to move before his knees had hit the concrete. She elegantly flipped her body over his own, landing just in front of him as he tried to grab the gun and swiftly kicking it out of his reach, sending it sliding across the floor, far enough away from everyone's grip. In almost a fluid movement leading on from her kick to the gun, she continued the movement around, kicking the guard solidly in the jaw as she brought her right foot around, sending him flying back slightly, hitting the floor with a thump and not making a move to get up again.

After looking his way for another moment to make sure he wouldn't get up again, Alex finally stood in an upright position, turning to face where she thought Sombra would be. To her slight surprise, Sombra was already standing close to her left, grasping the shoulder of Simons' coat as he struggled to pull away. Sombra smirked wickedly at Alex.

"Nice work Fox." She exclaimed.

Alex just rolled her eyes, replying with:

"You're welcome."

Sombra raised her eyebrow as if she were about to retort, but Simons whined in her grip and she turned her attention back to him instead. She kicked him in the back of the knee, forcing him to kneel in front of her.

"Walter Simons. Do you have any idea how much trouble I went through to find you. Well, not you exactly." Sombra said to the man on his knees, chuckling after she spoke.

Walter Simons looked at her with a mix of fear and determination in his eyes, knowing exactly what she was after.

"I won't tell you where it is!" He yelled, his voice wavering just slightly.

Sombra chuckled at this, before replying smugly.

"Oh but see you will Amigo. You see, my friend Fox over here can be _very_ persuasive."

The man glanced at Alex momentarily, concern etched deep into his brow. Despite not liking the implication that Sombra was making about her, she played the part of the villain and glared daggers into the kneeling man before her. It must have done the trick because he looked away from her in fright, shivering slightly.

'Wow.' Alex thought to herself.

'All that over a little eye patch.' She mused.

"Do whatever you want! I'll never tell you!" The man yelled resolutely.

Sombra smirked wickedly, no doubt adding to the man's discomfort. If Alex could see that man's face from where she was standing she had no doubt he'd be shitting himself.

Sombra suddenly looked up at Alex, gesturing ever so slightly with her eyes just to Alex's right, as if she was looking behind her. Alex heard the movement then, and swung her body around just in time to punch the security guard she'd taken down earlier clean in the face, sending him falling on his ass again. Again he didn't move, but this time Alex wasn't taking any chances. She walked over to where she'd kicked his gun earlier, and picked it up cautiously with her gloved hands. She looked at the thing in mild disgust. She still didn't particularly like guns. Nevertheless, she found the safety, switched it on and held it by the barrel. Just because she didn't like guns, didn't mean she had never held one before. Despite Daishin's equal distaste for the weapons, Bradford could be a pretty shady place in certain areas, and Daishin had shown Alex all of the basics should she ever need to defend herself against someone with one of the weapons.

She stalked over to the guard she'd just knocked down for a second time and pulled him up roughly to a sitting-like position by the front of his collar. He seemed pretty unconscious, but for good measure, gripping the gun tightly in her hand, Alex roughly smacked the guard over the back of the head with the handle of the gun, dropping him again to the ground and throwing the gun across the floor again until it slid under a nearby car.

She turned and walked back to stand where she was previously standing, just behind Simons still kneeling in front of Sombra. Sombra raised her eye brow at Alex, but Alex ignored her and just stared at the ground, a bored expression on her face.

Out of the corner of her eye Alex could see that Simons was trembling now. No doubt he'd watched Alex just beat his guard. Alex guessed all things considered she kind of did look more and more like a villain now.

Sombra turned her attention back to Simons.

"So what's it gonna be Simons?"

The man trembled under her intense gaze, but straightened his back slightly before responding:

"I can't tell you where it is!"

Sombra sighed over dramatically.

"Well, I asked nicely. Fox." She stated, indicating to Alex.

Alex had put together by now that Sombra had figured out that Simons either had the tech on him or at least close to him, maybe on one of the guards or in the vehicle. Sombra had obviously assumed that Alex knew as well, because she didn't need to actually say anything for Alex to know what she had to do.

Sombra stepped back slightly as Alex took her place in front of the kneeling Simons. The man looked absolutely horrified, no doubt thinking that Alex was about to torture him. Alex involuntarily smiled at the absurdity of the situation, which only added to the man's discomfort.

Wanting this whole ordeal to be over with, Alex began immediately. She scanned his body looking for the tech that Sombra was after. He had various items on him, a watch on his wrist, a phone in his pocket, a tablet in his suitcase. At first glance Alex couldn't see anything interesting enough to be what Sombra was looking for, but when she scanned over him a second time, focusing more intensely, she noticed the red glow that Sombra had mentioned under Simons' coat, to the lower left of his abdomen. It was weird though, it seemed to be…deeper, behind more than just layers of clothing.

"Shit." Alex suddenly said out loud, realizing where the tech was.

"What?" Sombra spoke up beside her.

Alex looked away disdainfully.

"He's got it." She said, which caused Simons' eyes to widen in fear.

"Excellent. So where is it?" Sombra asked, practically licking her lips.

Alex grimaced slightly.

"It's…inside him." She answered.

Simons visibly gulped, and held completely still.

"Where?" Sombra inquired.

"Lower left abdomen. About 3 centimetres from his belly button I'd say."

Alex looked away, grossed out by the idea that this guy had hidden tech _inside_ his body just to keep others from finding it. Alex laughed under her breath as she couldn't help but compare it to her own 'hidden tech', as she technically kept her mechanical eye a secret from most people.

Before Alex even realized she was moving, Sombra had closed in on the kneeling man and he let out a howling scream as a knife tore through his flesh.

Alex whipped around and froze as soon as she saw the blood, spacing out; lost in her nightmarish thoughts that tried to creep their way into her mind.

She didn't break out of her trance until Sombra physically shook her out of it.

"Amiga! We have to go!" Sombra was shouting at her in her dazed state.

Alex glanced over at Simons. He wasn't screaming anymore. He was lying in a pool of blood, not moving. The sight was all too familiar. Sombra's gloves were covered in blood, and now by extent so was Alex's shoulder. She almost passed out then and there but Sombra's insistent shaking and raised voice reminded Alex of the urgency of the situation. Alex could hear sirens getting louder in the distance.

"What the fuck did you do?" She asked Sombra, still half in a daze.

"I'll explain later, we have to go now!" Sombra reiterated, as she practically dragged Alex away from the scene, leaving the bleeding man alone on the cold concrete.

Somehow Alex made it back to the car they had waiting a block away, falling in step closely behind Sombra as they sprinted away from the scene of the crime.

The two sat in relative silence throughout the drive to wherever they were headed now; Alex didn't really know or care at the moment. Sombra glanced Alex's way a few times and looked like she might say something, but she held her tongue, and Alex continued to stare vacantly out the window. Sombra probably hadn't been expecting her to shut down after seeing the blood. Alex could sense her curiosity, but at least she had enough tact not to push the matter.

They pulled over, and Alex realized they'd stopped at the public restroom she'd used on the way in. Alex got out of the car wordlessly and walked into the small room, immediately ripping off the wig, eye patch, and her blood stained red coat.

She scrubbed at the spot where the blood had spilled onto her skin until her skin was raw. She then washed her face and removed her eye, cleaning it and handing it off to her right without looking up, already knowing that Sombra was standing there watching her. She felt Sombra take it from her hand.

"Take it out. Whatever bullshit you put in there. I want it out." She stated bluntly.

Sombra didn't speak, but Alex heard her working on the eye. After a few minutes, Sombra handed the eye back to Alex. She inspected it to ensure that it was back to the way it was before. Once satisfied, she lubricated it, and placed it back in her right eye socket, switching it back on.

Only then did she finally look up at Sombra, her face passive.

"You get what you needed?" She asked bluntly.

Sombra wasn't wearing her usual smirk, and seemed to be considering her words before she finally spoke up.

"Yes. And for the record, I didn't kill the guy. The device was fairly accessible, and I patched him up roughly before I called the ambulance."

Alex considered a moment, before remembering the sirens.

"So _you_ called them?" She asked, putting the pieces together in her mind.

"Sí. I wasn't lying when I said this wasn't a kill mission."

Sombra actually seemed genuine, and Alex didn't know why, but she believed her. The thought that she hadn't aided in killing someone eased her mind a little, but she still felt off. The sight had brought on too many unwanted memories.

"Here." Sombra spoke up, tossing a small bag onto the counter next to Alex.

"Put your old clothes back on. Consider your debt paid little Fox."

And with that Sombra left Alex alone.

Alex's clothes smelled like sweat, but she reveled in being back in them nonetheless.

Sombra drove her back to the cemetery, figuring it'd be better they weren't seen anywhere more populated together, and Alex assured her she could make her way from there.

Alex sat back down on the bench she'd slept on the previous night, a plethora of thoughts running through her mind and no simple answer to put her mind at ease in sight. She was perplexed, and tired, and she didn't really know how to proceed from here. She furrowed her brow and looked up at the overcast sky above her. It was late afternoon now and the sun would likely be setting soon.

Alex felt the seat move slightly at the presence of another body and glanced over, surprised to see Sombra sitting beside her.

For once Alex didn't hate the other woman's presence, and was secretly happy to not be alone with her thoughts right now.

She rolled her eyes at the other woman in mock annoyance.

"What are you still doing here? Shouldn't you be attending to your busy schedule of 'freelance' work?" Alex asked sarcastically.

Sombra chuckled.

"I'll go soon. But I get the feeling you want to ask me something first."

Alex looked back at the sky, her brow furrowing deeply. There was something eating at her mind, something she had guessed Sombra might be able to help her with, but she still didn't trust the woman, and she had hoped the other woman hadn't sensed her desire for help.

They sat in silence for a few moments, Alex weighing the pros and cons of asking this woman for something when Sombra suddenly spoke up.

"You did pretty good today Amiga. I mean, apart from the 'freaking out at blood' thing. Might need to work on that." She added, smirking at Alex.

Alex frowned at the older woman.

"Yeah well you need to work on the whole 'telling people when you're about to do something like that' thing." Alex replied in a mocking tone.

"What can I say, I'm unpredictable."

"That's what worries me…" Alex replied absentmindedly.

Sombra could see the inner battle happening behind Alex's eyes. Despite the girl's reservations, her eyes, even though one was mechanical, were quite expressive. Sombra knew the girl was going to ask her for something, the question was what she was willing to do for it, after today anyway.

Apparently the girl finally gave in, because she took a deep breath and looked at Sombra with a new intensity.

"Y-you can find out things, can't you?" Alex asked vaguely, tiptoeing around the subject.

Sombra looked up at the sky, feigning boredom.

"Depends. What do you need?"

Alex huffed lightly, not wanting to say any more, but knowing she needed to elaborate if she was going to get anywhere.

"L-like. If I wanted information on a particular organization, and some of their records on something, could you dig it up, even if it happened years ago?"

"Dirt on organizations? Easy." Sombra stated with confidence.

"But what if it'd been hidden really well." Alex pressed.

"Ooh. Now you've caught my interest." Sombra answered, casting her gaze towards Alex now.

Alex stared at the older woman intensely for a few moments, pondering her next move, before sighing heavily and sitting back into her chair.

"Isabelle Belrose. Arthur Valentine. I want you to find out if they had any involvement with a certain organization, and what the involvement was." Alex said, her heart already clenching in regret at mentioning her parents' names to this woman.

"Who are they?" Sombra inquired curiously.

Alex didn't look at her, and tried her best to keep her expression neutral.

"You don't get to ask." She replied simply, still staring at the sky.

Sombra considered the girl for a moment, already having a sneaking suspicion of who they were, before leaning back and sighing in resignation herself.

"And what's this organization then?"

There was a moment of silence. Alex could have asked Sombra about the murder specifically, she could have asked her about _that_ woman. But Alex wasn't ready for that yet. At the very least, she could discover what involvement her parents had with Talon first, and then she figured she'd just work from there, depending on what information Sombra brought her.

"Talon." She said simply, her voice void of emotion.

The name caused Sombra's eyes to widen in surprise, and she smirked devilishly. She let her eyes roll to the side to glance over at Alex, glad that the girl hadn't noticed her sudden reaction to a name that she knew oh so well. Sombra subtly licked her lips.

"You know this information won't be free…" Sombra stated more than asked.

She knew that Alex already knew this, and she had to commend the girl's guts for asking regardless, knowing that she'd be in Sombra's debt again after just getting herself out of it. Sombra smirked even more deeply. She liked this one.

Alex continued to stare straight up, her emotions as cloudy as the overcast sky above her.

"I know…" She replied simply.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I finished this chapter stupidly late and I have work in the morning so I didn't have time to proof read for grammar but I was so excited to post it after finishing it that I couldn't wait! So yeah, apologies for any grammar mistakes, will fix up tomorrow! For now, hope you enjoy~
> 
> EDIT: I've had time to proofread now. All should be well!


	20. Chapter 20

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the delay on this chapter guys! To make up for it this is the longest chapter I've written to date! Thank you to all my readers, and to those who have given me feedback! Please enjoy!

Alex punched the boxing bag in front of her hard, panting heavily as she continued her assault on the lifeless object. She wasn't sure how long she'd been there. It was dark when she'd stumbled into the Overwatch safe house she'd resided in before being accepted into the academy, not sure of where else to go. After Sombra had left the cemetery, Alex had sat in that same spot until long after the sun had set, and probably would have just slept there again had the night not been so cold. And here she was now, continuously punching until she felt she might pass out from the exhaustion. But she needed the distraction right now; she needed something to vent all of her pent up anger.

Each time she swung, she envisioned the face of someone her anger was directed at. She imagined Sombra, her smug smirk rubbing at her the wrong way. She imagined Conner, his arrogant face as he gloated about himself. She imagined _that_ woman. Her icy blue skin and piercing golden eyes, boring into Alex's own relentlessly as she took everything away from her again and again in this endless nightmare. Alex had a lot of hate to give around, and many faces to direct that hate towards, but the face she wanted to punch the most right now was her own.

Despite everything Daishin had taught her; despite how much she'd had to grow up when she lost her parents and found out how cruel the world really was; despite everything she'd been through to let her think she knew what she was doing and that she understood the world around her; the last 48 hours had turned all of that to shit.

Alex punched the bag hard enough to send a jolt of pain rushing through her knuckle and up her left arm. She shook her hand violently at the pain, panting heavily as she leaned defeated against the bag hanging in front of her.

Alex felt disgustingly naïve, a feeling that she detested more than anything. She hadn't felt this way since back then, after they'd found her on that bus in Bradford. She didn't know anything back then; she didn't even know her own name. Alex clenched her fists and breathed deeply through her nose, trying to restrain herself from causing any more self-injury in her rage.

Alex felt like that naïve, lost little girl again. She felt like she had no control over her own life, like she was always one step behind some cruel puppet-master who was pulling all of her strings. She didn't know a damn thing and she hated herself for it. She had so little control over her own life that she'd had to ask Sombra, a woman she didn't trust as far as she could throw her, for help in an attempt to learn more about what she was up against; a decision she was sure she'd grow to regret later on. But what choice did she have? It seemed the odds were stacked against her and Alex's biggest weakness right now was her lack of knowledge. She had fragments of information, pieces of a puzzle that didn't seem to fit together no matter how many times she rotated them in her mind. Sombra was good at finding out information, and after who Alex saw at the academy, she needed more information.

_That_ woman was _here._ She _worked_ for Overwatch. She was a god damn TEACHER at Overwatch Academy! Alex had always known Overwatch as the good guys, the heroes and rays of hope in a shitty and unfair world. Now she didn't know what to believe. If a woman like _that_ was part of such an organization? The thought of people seeing her as a hero made Alex audibly gag. She coughed violently at the movement, still not completely healed from the night before, and unsurprised to see specks of red sprayed across the bandage wrapped around her hand as she pulled it away from her face.

From the corner of her eye Alex saw her phone light up, perched on top of her leather jacket on the floor in front of the boxing bag. Alex sighed. She knew who it would be. She had lost count of the number of missed calls she had from Lena and Zenyatta, even few from a number she didn't know; she assumed it was someone at the academy maybe. She'd skipped out on all of her classes for the day, and her last encounter at the place was bursting out of the medical centre at god knows what time last night. She briefly wondered if they'd kick her out after such actions on only her second day at the academy. She wondered if she'd even care.

Sighing loudly, Alex swung vigorously at the bag a few more times before a sudden voice made her stop short.

"What did the bag ever do to you?" Came a strong female voice from behind her, which Alex recognized after a moment.

She turned around to meet the stern, yet somewhat concerned gaze of Fareeha Amari, her professor on strategy: the one professor she'd actually managed to get through a full class with. The thought made Alex snicker to herself.

The older woman eyed Alex silently for a few moments, making Alex feel slightly uncomfortable under the strong gaze. Alex tore her eyes away from the older woman, suddenly feeling vulnerable and hating the concerned look in the older woman's eyes that was bordering on pity. Alex looked to the ground instead, unwillingly leaning against the heavy boxing bag behind her, suddenly feeling the full weight of her fatigue from the past two days. She hadn't eaten anything since breakfast with Sombra, and she was probably thriving on about 2 hours of actual sleep since she ran from the hospital. She felt like shit, and she obviously looked like shit too judging from the look Fareeha was giving her.

After a few more tense moments, Alex finally broke the silence.

"Do you like to spar at midnight too?" She asked in a sarcastic tone.

Fareeha didn't answer straight away, thinking over her answer, before sighing lightly and replying in a serious yet concerned tone.

"It's 4am Alex. The academy has been trying to contact you all day since you ran away from the hospital last night."

Alex frowned, slightly irritated at that accusation, even if it were true.

"I didn't run away. I just…discharged myself. I was fine."

"That's not what I was told, and judging by the look of you now, I'd say you're not fine."

Alex dropped her head slightly, breaking eye contact with the older woman.

"I've just had a long day." She said bluntly.

"A long day skipping classes?" Fareeha prodded.

"I had a family emergency." Alex lied.

Fareeha sighed loudly.

"Alex, we've already spoken to Zenyatta and Lena. Neither of them have heard from you all da-"

"Lena's _not_ family!" Alex cut her off, surprised at how much venom seeped into her tone.

Among the many, several shitty things going on in Alex's life right now, she wasn't quite sure how she felt towards Lena right now. Alex had adored the older woman, but knowing what she knew now, knowing _who_ she was with…

Several moments of silence passed again before Fareeha sighed and spoke up.

"Listen Cross. I don't know what's going on with you right now, but you need to pull it together. You weren't accepted into this academy to blow it in the first week. I see potential in you, and obviously Lena saw the same otherwise she wouldn't have recommended you. You don't strike me as the kind of person to give up on something you've set your mind to. So come back to class in the morning and prove me right."

Alex was stubborn as hell, and Fareeha was right in that she usually didn't give up on anything she set her mind to, but this time was different. Alex was drained, both physically and emotionally. She didn't know who she could trust anymore, not that she'd ever been particularly trusting to begin with, and she had no allies now that Daishin was gone. She thought she'd found a new ally in Lena, but that relationship felt beyond strained now with recent revelations. Alex sighed loud enough for Fareeha to hear, and slowly looked up to meet the other woman's gaze, finding it almost too intense to hold and not really sure what to say.

Fareeha's expression softened, before she let out a warm smile.

"I'll see you at 9."

As the woman turned to leave, Alex blurted out suddenly:

"I didn't say that I was gonna come!"

Fareeha paused and smirked at the younger woman.

"I know."

Alex glanced away, frowning stubbornly.

"Make sure you get some sleep tonight, and you should stop by the hospital in the morning before class to see Angel- Doctor Ziegler to give you a check-up." Fareeha stated.

Before Alex could respond, the older woman had turned on her heal and left Alex alone in the small gym.

Alex scoffed to herself. Neither of those things was going to happen…

* * *

Alex felt like shit. As she snuck her way back to her own dorm room on campus, she wondered if it were possible for someone to feel worse than she did now. Despite Fareeha's suggestion, Alex had gotten no sleep last night, which she had predicted given her current emotional turmoil. On top of that she hadn't eaten anything in about 24 hours, and she'd pretty much worked herself ragged. More than anything right now, Alex felt she needed a shower, which brought her back to the sneaking back to her room ordeal.

She could've showered at the safe house, but she didn't have a change of clothes and her current ones were drenched in sweat and smelled as such; she would've felt instantly dirty again putting them back on. She decided to come back to her dorm room on campus at the very least to get a change of clothes and clean herself up, maybe grab some cash for food. What she wanted to avoid at all costs was running into anyone who might recognize her, particularly her very inquisitive roommate. If she remembered correctly, Fareeha's morning class would be starting about now, and seeing as Kali liked to stick to a strict schedule, Alex knew the girl would have left about 20 minutes ago, meaning Alex would be safe to sneak in while the other girl was at class.

Alex breathed a sigh of relief when she finally closed the bedroom door behind her, happy that it was in fact empty and even happier that she hadn't run into any other students or staff that might have recognized her on her way.

After cleaning herself up, lubricating and cleaning her mechanical eye, and even stomaching a small energy bar she stole from Kali's pantry, figuring she'd pay her back later if she stuck around, Alex fell onto her bed unceremoniously. She was tired in more than one sense, but Alex doubted she'd be able to sleep, even as her muscles protested with strenuous movements. She rolled onto her side and picked her phone up from the bedside table, inspecting the many missed calls and messages she'd still left unopened. She stared at the names that popped up a little longer, pondering whether or not she should message back, or at the very least open them. Like most of the arguments that Alex had with herself though, the 'putting it off until later' side won out in the end.

Instead Alex glanced at the time. 9:20am. She'd cleaned up rather quickly and didn't really know what else to do with her day. Deciding that she didn't mind the stern woman who in some ways reminded her of Daishin, and that the alternative was worrying over everything else she was trying to avoid, Alex decided to go along to her scheduled morning class with Fareeha as the professor. Sure she'd be about half an hour late, but they had to give her credit for trying right? She pulled on some black tights, a blue singlet and a faded blue hoodie, finishing off with her white sneakers before heading out the door.

* * *

Alex regretted her decision the instant she arrived. The class had already begun setting up some kind of obstacle course on the field by the seated area where they'd had their first class, and despite the fact that most of the students were busy with their tasks, Alex's late arrival did not go unnoticed by most. Several students glanced Alex's way, some even seeming like they were glaring, but Alex pushed herself through it and ignored them for the most part. When she reached the concrete stage area where they'd introduced themselves two days earlier, Kali and Jax came out of a small group and approached her eagerly with a mix of relief and concern on their features.

"Alex! You came!" Kali exclaimed.

"Are you feeling okay girl?" Jax added before Alex could respond to Kali.

Alex played off their concern, waving her arm and smirking as if she hadn't just disappeared for a full day after running away from the academy's hospital; a story she was sure had made its way around by now.

"I'm fine guys, really." She reassured, not sure if they were buying it by the looks on their faces.

"You're half an hour late Cross." A stern voice came from behind Alex on the field side of the stage.

Alex turned around to face Fareeha, scratching her head and trying to play off her concern like she had with Jax and Kali.

"Sorry, I slept in." She lied.

Fareeha gave her a once over, before adding:

"Are you up for today? Did you stop by the hospital on your way here?"

"Mhmm." Alex lied again, just wanting everyone to divert their attention away from her again so she could not feel so on the spot.

Fareeha eyed Alex for a few moments, and Alex was pretty sure the woman knew she was lying, but thankfully she dropped the subject.

"You can help Jax and Kali with their section of setup. I'll let them explain it to you." Fareeha stated, before walking out onto the field to help some of the other students.

Alex sighed in relief, before turning back to Kali and Jax.

"So what's our job?" She asked, trying to get back into something remotely normal.

"You sure you're up for this Alex, you did faint in class the other day." Kali asked in a concerned tone.

"Yeah, and you kinda look like shit." Jax provided.

Before Alex could respond, a loud voice spoke up behind her again, one that she instantly recognized as she rolled her eyes and turned to face him.

"Well look who decided to actually show up today!" Conner exclaimed in a mocking tone as he approached Alex with a group of 4 other students.

The other four didn't really stand out to Alex as students she remembered, but judging from the way they formed around Conner, she guessed the jerk had already formed his entourage of fellow douche bags.

Alex smirked at Conner, meeting him with an equally mocking tone:

"I just couldn't live another day without making you look like a loser."

Conner laughed and took a step closer to Alex.

"From where I'm standing you're the only loser around here."

"You actually fainted in class!" One of the smaller guys to Conner's left laughed out, feigning an over-dramatic fainting motion.

"And we heard you ran away from the hospital too like a little baby!" Conner added afterwards, laughing along with his four douche friends.

Alex clenched her fists at her side. Despite her fatigue she was more than ready to throw down again with this arrogant asshole.

Conner noticed her serious expression and added mockingly:

"Ooh! Did I hit a nerve?"

At this point Jax stepped between the two, pulling Alex back slightly in an attempt to diffuse the tension.

"Come on Alex, he's not worth it." The Omnic offered.

Alex sighed and followed Jax, turning away from Conner.

"Yeah that's right, run away like a little bitch! Hey Guys! I bet she ran and cried to her bitch mother after she fainted the other day too!" Conner called after her, laughing hysterically along with his entourage.

Alex paused in her step, clenching her fists until her knuckles turned white.

"What?" Alex growled out, not turning to face the taller boy.

Conner trailed off laughing, before replying slightly confused:

"What?"

Alex paused a moment, before growling out in the same serious tone:

" _What_ did you call my mother?"

Conner and his entourage began laughing again as Conner replied harshly:

"I said she was probably a bitch like you! Little bitch Alex and her big bitch mother!"

Conner and his mates burst out laughing, oblivious to the way Alex was glaring at them and the way she lowered her body ever so slightly into an attacking stance.

Jax must have noticed the look in Alex's eyes because he tried to reach out and stop her but he was too slow. Before he or Conner could do anything about it, Alex had swiveled on her feet, pouncing at Conner and punching him square in the jaw with as much effort as she could muster. Not expecting the sudden hit, Conner lost his footing and fell backwards onto his back. Before he had a chance to react properly, Alex was on top of him. She straddled his waist and began vigorously punching at him. Conner finally reacted and brought his arms up to shield himself, but not before Alex landed a particularly hard punch to the bridge of his nose, causing a loud cracking sound to ring out and blood to pour freely from Conner's nostrils. The sound made Alex smile viciously, convinced that she had broken the appendage.

Conner struggled to shake Alex off, but every time he squirmed, she just locked her legs tighter around his torso, not giving him a chance to shake her off. After a few moments of struggling, Conner finally had enough.

"GET THIS CRAZY BITCH OFF ME!" He yelled at his group of friends, who suddenly sprang into action on cue, grabbing at Alex and trying to pull her off. She managed to get a few good punches on them before one of the larger guys kicked her harshly in the ribs, the sharp pain sending her falling off Conner and onto her side. Two of Conner's friends quickly helped him up as the larger one kicked Alex harshly in the ribs again to keep her down.

Alex breathed in sharply at the searing pain in her chest. It had only been a couple of months since she fractured her ribs after her run in at Kings Row, and she was sure this fight was not doing her any favours in the long term recovery department, even if they had healed by now. Despite knowing that she should back down lest she cause any more damage to her already fatigued body, Alex just couldn't let what Conner said go, not after the wound of her parents murder was freshly opened.

"What? Can't fight your own battles rich boy? Need your little butt buddies to stand in for you huh?" She mocked, causing Conner's already red face to fume even further.

He stepped forward hastily and kicked Alex hard in the ribs, sending her flying back a little and onto her back. The last friend of the four that was on her opposite side kicked her in her other side, and Alex started to black out as she lost count of how many times and how many boots collided with her sides.

A crowd had started to form around them and just when Alex thought she might pass out, the kicking stopped and she could hear Jax and Fareeha shouting before the bodies surrounding her were suddenly dispersing.

Kali and Jax were suddenly at Alex's side, helping her to her feet as Fareeha shouted sternly at the students in the immediate area, obviously trying to find out who was involved.

It took a few moments of heavy breathing through the pain in Alex's chest and leaning heavily on Kali and Jax to regain her senses enough to understand what was being said.

"That crazy bitch broke my nose!" She heard Conner shouting off to her left.

"And so you beat her to the ground?" Fareeha accused sternly.

"She started the fight!" Conner protested.

"Who else was involved here?!" Fareeha shouted again, ignoring Conner.

Kali made a move forward, obviously to turn in Conner's douche friends, but Alex grabbed her wrist to stop her, using the motion to propel herself forward with hopefully enough force to keep her standing on her own feet.

She coughed once, and it was enough to make her wince at the surge of pain it shot through her rib-cage, but she steeled herself and put on her brave face.

"It was just Conner and me. And he's right. I started it." Alex said, attempting to be nonchalant and matter of fact. She didn't want anyone's pity. If this could just be written off at two kids having a fight that'd be an okay scenario with her. The last thing she needed right now was to draw any more attention to herself than necessary with everything going on.

"Alex…" Fareeha began, concern etching her voice, before Alex cut her off:

"That's what happened."

Conner didn't open his mouth, and Fareeha continued to stare at Alex, looking for any cracks in her resolve. When Alex didn't show any, Fareeha sighed heavily, defeated.

"Well if that's how it happened. We'll talk about both your punishments later. For now, I'm taking you both to the hospital to be looked over."

Alex definitely did not want to go back there and started to protest before Fareeha cut her off:

"It's non-negotiable! You will both come with me now to the hospital and you will both stay there until Dr Ziegler deems you fit to leave. Diana! Please direct the class as per the rest of the set up plans. I will return shortly so we can continue with our scheduled class."

* * *

Being back in the hospital's hallways made Alex feel uneasy, reminded of the last time she passed through these halls and what had put her there in the first place. Alex had only planned on going to Fareeha's class today and then possibly ditching, the probability of her running into _that_ woman rising the longer she stayed on campus and the more places she went. She hoped to god that she wouldn't run into her here.

Fareeha walked a few paces ahead of them, with Conner falling in step just behind her and Alex trailing behind them at a slower pace. Despite Alex's earlier bravado, she was in a lot more pain than she wanted to admit and keeping up with Fareeha's pace meant she was panting lightly and the heavier she breathed the sharper the pain in her ribs. So Alex fell behind the other two slightly, enough to follow them easily but not fast enough to be walking right with them.

She listened amused as Conner whined in front of her for the majority of the walk there, complaining about the horrendous pain in his nose and throwing around threats about his father hearing about this.

Alex inwardly laughed at that. Everything about Conner screamed spoiled rich boy. She honestly didn't give two shits about what his father had to say about it, and the sadistic side of Alex secretly hoped that Conner's nose wouldn't heal correctly and it'd always look slightly off.

The thought of a crooked-nosed Conner crying to his father caused Alex to chuckle out loud, a movement she instantly regretted as it shot a surge of pain up her left side where she'd copped the most kicks.

Alex was brought out of her thoughts by a sudden voice exclaiming just ahead of her.

"My God Fareeha!"

Alex looked up, realizing that Fareeha and Conner had already reached the front desk in the room they'd just entered, and it was only Alex left walking to catch up. There was a third person with them however, a woman with blonde hair, and Alex realized she was the origin of the voice a second ago. Judging by the way she was looking at Conner's face, Alex could guess the reason for her alarm, he looked like shit. For that matter Alex was sure she looked equally as bad, if not worse.

Alex noticed the woman was wearing a white lab coat, and she instinctively tensed slightly and frowned. Alex never really felt comfortable around medical professionals.

The woman reached out to cup Conner's chin in her hand, slapping away his attempt at protesting, and turned his head slightly to each side.

"Honestly Fareeha, what are you teaching in that class of yours?" The woman asked with a sigh.

"Hey! Don't look at me! This was all them!" Fareeha defended, blushing slightly as she scratched her head, making Alex quirk her brow at the seemingly embarrassed reaction from the older woman.

The blonde doctor sighed again.

"Hmm. I don't think it's broken, but at the very least it's been fractured." She started, before adding:

"I'd still like to take an X-Ray though."

Alex cursed internally. She'd really hoped she had broken it.

The doctor then turned to face Alex, but didn't make any attempt to close the distance between them or touch her like she had done with Conner, which Alex was both relieved about, and slightly curious seeing as she showed no restraint when it came to Conner. Maybe Alex didn't look as bad as she felt after all? Maybe that meant she'd be able to lie her way easily out of having to get a check-up at all.

"And what about this one?" The doctor asked openly, leaving the question out there to be answered by either Fareeha or Alex.

Alex shrugged her shoulders slightly and simply replied:

"I'm fine."

Fareeha brought her hand up to her forehead and sighed.

"She is not fine. When I finally got through the rest of the students she was lying on the ground gagging. I didn't see what happened but I believe Mr Hunter here may have kicked her in the ribs.

"Hey!" Conner protested loudly at the accusation.

As much as it would satisfy Alex to see Conner getting into shit, she really didn't want to make a fuss about her ribs and risk having to get a full examination and possibly stay in the hospital for much longer, because the longer she stayed on campus, the higher the chance of running into _her._ So she swallowed her disgust at the thought of helping Conner's cause and sided with him.

"I'm fine, really! Conner may be a douche bag but he's a weak douche bag. He barely landed a hit on me, so there's really no need." Alex proclaimed, chuckling as naturally as possible and trying not to wince at the pain it caused.

"Hey!" Conner protested again at the insult directed at him, taking a step towards Alex as she just grinned at him.

Fareeha placed her hand on his shoulder sternly to warn against any further fighting. She then turned her attention towards the doctor.

"Angela, I would like you to examine _both_ of them, and prescribe recovery as you see fit." Fareeha stated sternly, drawing out the 'both' in her sentence to kill any delusions Alex had about getting out of this.

Alex sighed internally. It seemed she wasn't going to be able to lie her way out of this one. As soon as the doctor saw the state of her ribs, which she was sure were heavily bruised, she was sure the woman would recommend her staying in the hospital overnight, a thought that made her less than comfortable.

"Leave it to me." Angela replied in a pleasant, but stern voice.

"Thank you." Fareeha replied to Angela, before directing her next statement towards Conner and Alex:

"If either of you give Doctor Ziegler any trouble I'll extend the length of your punishments for today's incident by a month! Got it?"

"Just wait until my father hears about this!" Conner proclaimed, pointing towards Alex.

Alex just pouted and looked to the ground. She wasn't going to start anything but if Conner did she certainly wasn't going to back down.

"GOT IT?!" Fareeha stated louder and more sternly this time.

"Yes Ma'am." Alex offered defeated, still looking at the ground.

Conner huffed, but offered a weak "Fine."

"Good. I leave them in your hands Angela." Fareeha stated finally, before turning on her heel and walking out the doors they'd come in.

Alex looked after the older woman as she left, suddenly aware that she was now alone in the hospital with Conner and the doctor, Doctor Ziegler she believed. Fareeha had been a nice buffer, easing her anxiety sightly, but now she was left here, a place she felt less than comfortable and with one person who brought out her temper, and one person who brought out her anxiety. Great.

Angela suddenly spoke up again, making Alex reluctantly turn away from the doors and face the doctor.

"I'll examine Mr Hunter here first, if you'll follow me please. Miss Cross, please take a seat over there, I'll be with you as soon as I'm done."

The doctor indicated to a row of seats against the wall by the entrance door. Alex took a seat and watched the doctor and Conner disappear down the hall. She breathed a sigh of relief when she was left alone in the room, and leaned back in the chair to relieve the built up tension and pain in her ribs. The stretch didn't help nearly as much as she'd liked.

Alex glanced around the white room, trying to remember the last time she'd been in this building. Her memories of 'escaping' the hospital were foggy, as she'd only been half awake at the time. She remembered a lot of white, white walls, white curtains, but she figured most hospitals were like that. It's like they did everything in their power to make patients feel as uncomfortable as possible, with the sterile smell and stark walls. Alex really did hate the damned places.

Alex considered just walking out the door. There was no one in the waiting room, so she could easily do it. She didn't like the implications of pissing off Fareeha more than she probably had already though. Despite the woman's sternness, Alex didn't mind her, and if she wanted to stay at this academy for the foreseeable future, she probably shouldn't push her luck. That and despite how much she tried to ignore it, her ribs really were killing her and the idea of getting some decent painkillers was very alluring. So Alex waited for the doctor and Conner to return.

She waited for maybe half an hour before the two returned down the same hall in which they'd left. Conner was sporting a bandage of sorts placed over his nose, and looked less than happy about it. His arms were crossed and his face was etched with a deep frown.

The sight made Alex laugh.

"It's a good look for you rich boy!" She exclaimed, laughing harder even though the movement hurt her ribs.

Conner shot her a death glare.

"I don't know why they let someone like _you_ into this academy!" He pouted, before aggressively pushing his way through the doors and towards the building's exit.

His little outburst sent a new wave of laughter through Alex, one that she couldn't control. The laughter caught in her throat though, causing her to cough harshly, which caused the pain in her ribs to spike again. She winced at the pain and gagged slightly as her coughing trailed off. When she'd finally settled down, she realized that the doctor was standing in front of her now, just a few paces ahead of her.

The other woman was staring at her, and when Alex met her gaze, the doctor quirked her eyebrow at the younger woman.

"Fine are we?" She asked sarcastically.

Alex gulped slightly, and only offered a weak smile in response.

* * *

Alex sat on the hospital bed, shifting uncomfortably as her legs hung over the edge. Dr Ziegler had done an X-Ray of her ribs and was now sitting on a stool in front of her examining it. Doctor's made Alex feel uncomfortable in general, but that was not her cause for concern in this particular case. The woman was sitting way too close for Alex's comfort, and now that the woman was so close to her, and her attention was not directly on Alex, Alex had the freedom to explore the other woman's features.

She was exceedingly beautiful now that Alex was actually looking at her, and her warm blue eyes made Alex feel simultaneously safe and uneasy. All of the doctors she had ever known were cold and detached and prodding, but this woman seemed different. Alex got the same feeling being so close to this woman as she had when she first met Lena. Or was it different? Both women stirred an unfamiliar and warm feeling inside Alex's stomach, and despite Alex being terrible at deciphering emotions like that, she couldn't help but feel that they were slightly different. It's like the warmth was in different parts of her body and the more Alex thought about it, the more she became aware of the blush creeping up her cheeks.

She suddenly looked away from the older woman, trying to squash down the confusing thoughts running through her mind.

After a few moments of staring at the ground, the doctor suddenly coughed lightly to gain Alex's attention. Alex looked back up at the woman, met with her warm gaze again, and Alex was sure that she was still blushing.

The woman offered Alex a warm smile, and Alex got the feeling her blushing didn't go unnoticed by the older woman.

"It's nice to see you so willing to cooperate this time." Angela stated pleasantly.

Alex blinked quizzically at the older woman, not quite sure what she meant.

Angela noted the younger girl's confusion and elaborated:

"The other night. I was the one to come and check on you."

After a moment realization suddenly dawned on Alex and her eyes widened. She didn't remember much from the other night here, her mind had been foggy and her eyes glazed. She did remember seeing blonde hair but hadn't thought much on it. The woman who'd found her vomiting that night and provided her assistance, the same woman Alex had shoved to the ground in her attempt to escape, was the same woman sitting in front of her now. The doctor's reluctance to touch her like she had with Conner earlier now made sense, and the thought that the woman was intentionally tiptoeing around her made her wince internally. Alex wasn't weak.

Alex opened her mouth to speak but couldn't quite form the words to an apology. She blushed so much that she was sure her face was bright red and looked away from the other woman's gaze.

Angela chuckled lightly in front of her.

"It's okay. I believe you were in shock at the time. Although I do wish you hadn't run away from the hospital like that."

Alex looked back at the woman, suddenly feeling immensely guilty for the way she had acted, even though Angela was right about her being in shock, and the fact that she barely knew this woman.

Alex looked to the ground again.

"Sorry…" She muttered.

Angela offered the girl a warm smile and placed her hand gently on the girl's shoulder.

"It's okay. Really. I'm not too sure what had you so worried that night, but if you ever need to talk about it with anyone, I'm here." Angela offered reassuringly.

Alex found she appreciated the thought, even though she knew she would never act on it. It wasn't in Alex's nature to be the 'sharing' kind. Besides, what would she tell this woman? 'Oh by the way I'm pretty sure your colleague murdered my parents 12 years ago and now I have little memory of my life prior to that and anxiety surrounding hospitals.' Yeah. She was sure that'd go down well.

"…Yeah." Alex offered weakly.

The doctor smiled again and pulled her arm back, before her expression changed to a more serious one.

"Now about your current injuries. You were lucky this time, and despite some heavy bruising, you didn't sustain any fractures. However, looking at your X-ray, I can see evidence of multiple previous fractures. Is there anything you need to tell me?" Angela asked seriously.

This wasn't news to Alex, she'd been in her fair share of street fights, and even training with Daishin had sometimes been taxing on her body. Alex didn't have the heart to tell the woman that she had not long ago recovered from her last set of fractured ribs, after her scuffle in Kings Row.

Not really knowing what the other woman was after, and not really affected by the news, Alex just waved it off.

"I just…get into a lot of fights I guess…" She said indifferently.

Angela frowned.

"You should really take care of yourself more Alex." She said in a concerned tone.

"It's not like I go out of my way looking for fights." Alex defended, adding while rolling her eyes:

"Besides, I usually get dragged to the hospital afterwards anyway."

"So you wouldn't seek medical help if you were not forced then?" Angela prodded, raising her eyebrow at the younger girl.

Alex felt a little uncomfortable at the turn the conversation had taken, feeling like she was being accused, and so her tone turned to a more defensive one.

"Well yeah! I guess… If the pain was bad enough." She replied in a raised voice, but trailing off at the end.

Angela sighed heavily, pressing her hand to her forehead to relieve the tension beginning to build there.

"Alex. I want you to promise me that at the very least, while you're at the academy, you'll come and see me if you get into any kind of trouble or get hurt okay?" Angela asked seriously.

Alex narrowed her eyes at the other woman. Alex barely knew this woman, she didn't owe her anything. For that matter the doctor barely knew Alex, so why was she being so insistent. Unless…

"Did Lena ask you to keep an eye on me?" Alex asked with a little more venom in her voice than she initially intended.

"Or was it Zenyatta?" She added as an afterthought.

Angela sighed again.

"I have been in contact with both of them yes, but neither asked me specifically to keep an eye on you." Angela replied, trying to placate the younger girl.

"So you did talk to them." Alex accused, suddenly getting worked up at thought of people talking about her behind her back.

"Alex. You're 17. You're still a minor and Zenyatta is your legal guardian. I was legally obligated to contact him when you were brought into the hospital the other night."

"And what about Lena?!" Alex retorted.

Angela sighed.

"I believe Amélie contacted Lena about what happened during your class with her. Lena then contacted me as a concerned friend. You should really call her back. She's been calling every day asking if you're okay." Angela stated solemnly.

Alex clenched her fists and had to resist the urge to gag at the mentioning of _that_ woman's name. The reminder again of her relationship to Lena brought on a new wave of anger and betrayal inside Alex. She wanted to call Lena, she really did. She wanted to tell her everything, tell her she was sorry, tell her about her crazy, messed up life. She wanted Lena to look at her with that warm smile of hers and tell her that everything would be okay, that everything was just a big misunderstanding. But Alex knew that wasn't possible. There was no easy way to explain this whole mess away. Alex was sure that Amélie was the blue woman she'd seen that night, she was sure of it. That meant there were only two explanations. One: Amélie was deceiving everyone here, including Lena, and nobody knew of the true monster that she was. And two, and this was the one that Alex really hoped wasn't the case. Two: Everyone knew. Everyone knew who Amélie was, knew _what_ she was, and accepted it. This possibility was harder for Alex to accept, because it possibly meant that Overwatch was somehow involved in her parents' murder, or at the very least knew about it. Alex had met a few people from Overwatch now, and most of them had seemed like caring and good people. The idea that they might have been somehow involved in that night…

Alex just didn't know who she could trust anymore, and that included Lena and the entirety of Overwatch. She needed more information. For now, she just needed to pretend like everything was normal and wait for Sombra to bring her that information. Normal.

Alex reluctantly looked back up to the woman sitting in front of her.

"I'll call her soon." Alex offered weakly.

Angela held her gaze for a moment, determining the genuineness of her statement. After a moment she sighed again.

"Make sure that you do." Angela stated with finality, before adding:

"Now pull up your shirt and lay on your back. I need to put some lotion on your ribs."

Alex's eyes widened slightly:

"W-what?" She exclaimed, more than a little embarrassed at the request.

Angela chuckled and shook her head. She reached over to the tray she had placed on the bedside table when they'd entered the room, and grabbed a small tube, holding it up in front of herself for Alex to see.

"This lotion will help your bruises to heal at a quicker rate than they would on their own, and it also contains an analgesic which along with the pills I have prescribed you will help with the pain. I'll show you the first time how much to apply, where, and how much pressure you should place on the wounds. After that, you can take the tube and apply it yourself 3 times a day until it runs out." Angela explained.

The idea of healing faster did sound very appealing to Alex, and she had to admit anything to help with the pain was welcomed. But despite the doctor just explaining her reasoning for her applying it the first time, it didn't make Alex feel any less embarrassed.

Angela raised her eyebrow at the younger girl, glancing at the pillow at the top of the bed to indicate that she should lay down.

Alex gulped, but obediently laid on her back on the bed, pulling her singlet up to just below where her sports bra sat. She looked directly at the ceiling, not wanting to make eye contact during the process, but a light cough from Angela's direction demanded her attention.

"I need you to see how much I'm applying." Angela said calmly.

The doctor held her hand out so that Alex could easily see from her lying down position, and squeezed small dollop of the lotion onto her palm. She screwed the lid back onto the tube and placed it back on the tray.

"About this much every time. Don't go overboard with the dosage or you'll run out too quickly." Angela explained.

Alex just nodded dumbly at the older woman.

Angela began rubbing the lotion between her two hands, and after a moment, she spoke up again:

"I'm going to rub the lotion into your ribs on both the left and right side now. I need to apply a small amount of pressure, so it might feel slightly uncomfortable as the painkiller tablets I gave you before the X-Ray won't have fully kicked in yet. If it hurts, tell me and I'll stop okay?" Angela explained clearly.

Again Alex nodded dumbly, but Angela shook her head.

"I need you to verbally tell me that you understand Alex." She said slightly more sternly.

"I understand. I'll tell you." Alex mumbled out.

Angela nodded her head, satisfied with Alex's response, before she brought her hands down to the younger girl's chest and placed them against her skin.

Alex had fully expected the doctor's hands to be cold, like the doctor's from her childhood, but to her surprise the woman's hands were pleasantly warm, and she didn't feel the need to flinch from the touch like she normally did when doctors had to touch her.

Angela watched the younger girl's face, and when she didn't seem to flinch or feel uncomfortable at her touch, Angela sighed internally in relief.

"I'll begin now." Angela stated calmly.

"Mhmm." Alex responded, looking at the ceiling.

The doctor had been right, the pressure did cause Alex slight discomfort as her ribs were still quite tender. The more the doctor rubbed the lotion in though, the better Alex's chest began to feel as the analgesic started to kick in, combined with the pills she had taken previously. The more the pain subsided however, the more aware Alex became of the other woman's hands on her skin, and despite the situation, Alex couldn't help the deep blush that crawled up her features at the gentle touch. Alex just filed it away to never really have much physical human contact. Yeah. She just wasn't use to people touching her, that was all.

When the older woman was finished and she withdrew her hands, Alex suddenly felt she missed the contact. She shook off the feeling though, pulling her singlet down again as she sat up and hung her legs over the side of the bed again.

Angela handed the tube to her, smirking as she said:

"Think you can handle it?"

Alex actually found it in herself to smile back, finding her sense of humour again and replying sarcastically:

"I think I've got it."

Alex took the small tube, sitting it on top of her hoodie at the foot of the bed, next to the small bottle of painkiller tablets.

Angela stood up from her stool.

"I'll inform your afternoon professor that you won't be attending class. I'd also like you to stay here for the rest of the day so I can check in with you to make sure the painkillers are working okay." The doctor stated, not leaving any room for debate.

Alex winced at the thought. She hated these places and just wanted to get in and get out most of the time.

She looked up to the older woman and was about to open her mouth to protest, but the woman's stern look killed the words in Alex's mouth before she uttered them.

"You need to rest Alex." Angela offered in a softer tone, before adding:

"I'm a doctor you know. I can tell by looking at you that you haven't slept much these past couple of days. Take this as your prescribed sleep time."

Alex glanced around the room she was in, its stark white walls glaring at her the same way they did back when she was first brought into the hospital in Bradford. There was no way she'd be able to get any sleep here, despite the doctor's good intentions.

Angela saw the way the younger girl glanced around the room uncomfortably, and it registered to her that the girl might not feel comfortable in hospitals. If Angela thought back to the things Alex had said since Fareeha had brought her in, it made sense. Her constant insistence that she was okay so that she could leave, her uneasy shifting as they went through her examination.

Angela sighed. She really wanted to keep the girl within eyesight for now so that she could make sure she wasn't doing anything too strenuous with her injuries. That and she wanted to give Lena and Zenyatta piece of mind that Alex was being taken care of while she was at the academy and not running off getting into fights and other sorts of trouble.

A sudden thought popped into the doctor's mind.

"Come with me." She stated pleasantly.

Alex narrowed her eyes at the older woman at first, but nonetheless, she pushed herself off the hospital bed, picked up her hoodie and medicine, and followed the doctor back down the hall they'd come through. The doctor stopped by a door just behind the front desk on this level where they'd first run into her earlier when Fareeha had brought them in. Angela opened the door and indicated for Alex to follow her in.

Alex stepped into the room, which was a bit smaller than her dorm room on campus. The walls were painted a light creamy yellow colour, a nice change from the stark white in the rest of the hospital, and scattered with various posters and photos. At one end of the room was a large desk, scattered messily with files and several coffee mugs. On the side wall opposite the door was a long lounge, light blue in colour, with a few blankets and pillows thrown over it. It didn't take much for Alex to guess that this was Doctor Ziegler's office.

"I work long hours and rarely get time to go home. When I started here I used to nap on the hospital beds, but they're quite uncomfortable aren't they?" Angela started, winking at Alex.

The doctor walked over to the lounge on the opposite wall, resting her hand on its back.

"Eventually I brought Heather here into my office, and I've found she's a much more comfortable option." Angela finished happily, stroking the back of the lounge.

Alex couldn't help but chuckle.

"You named your lounge Heather?" She asked in a teasing tone.

"Say what you want. This girl has gotten me through many a stressful night." Angela replied in a similar tone.

The two women continued to chuckled, before Angela spoke up again when their laughter died down.

"I want you to stay here and rest for the rest of the day, but I can understand that the hospital beds provided are…less than comfortable. So! I'm giving you the privilege of sleeping on Heather here for the rest of the day." Angela stated in a light tone.

Alex waved her hands up in front of her at the offer, feeling like she was intruding on the doctor's personal space. Before she could protest though, the doctor was cutting her off:

"No buts, I'm offering."

Alex sighed. If she was going to be forced to stay here for the rest of the day, this quaint little office did feel a lot more welcoming that the rest of the hospital, and the lounge did look more comfortable than those stiff hospital beds. Alex's eyes did feel exceedingly heavy at her lack of sleep, maybe she'd actually be able to rest here.

"Okay. T-Thanks…" Alex stuttered out, blushing a little when the doctor clapped happily in front of her.

Angela stepped away from the bed and indicated for Alex to step forward and sit down. Alex obliged, too tired at this point to really care for her usual reservations. She sat down and was pleasantly surprised to find that the lounge was soft and spongy. She kicked her sneakers off and placed her hoodie and medicine on the ground by the lounge. She laid on her back, staring at the ceiling, really thinking she might actually get some sleep today.

As she started to doze off, Angela's voice suddenly spoke up from the door.

"If you ever need somewhere to run away to, you're always welcome to come here. Oh, and about what I said earlier, you will promise to come and see me should you get yourself hurt again won't you?"

Alex rolled onto her side to look at the woman in the doorway. She considered a moment, deciding that she still wasn't sure if she trusted this woman, or anyone else at the academy for that matter. Still, she somehow didn't want to let her down either, so for now she just told the older woman what she wanted to here.

"I promise." She lied.

Angela raised her eyebrow slightly at the younger girl, before replying with a sad smile:

"You're a terrible liar Miss Cross."


	21. Chapter 21

Alex sighed deliberately loudly as she placed what felt like the millionth book back in its place on the shelf in front of her. She'd been so excited when she heard that Overwatch Academy had its own fully stocked library with actual physical books rather than digital copies like most other libraries, but after several days of cleaning the place and putting books back in their rightful places for what felt like hours every day, it was definitely starting to lose its appeal.

"You're almost done Cross." Fareeha called from her position on one of the lounges in the large library, seemingly ignoring Alex's frustrated grunts and sighs and reading a book quietly.

Alex stepped out from the row she was currently in and glared at the older woman, muttering under her breath:

"I'd be done a lot quicker if _somebody_ helped."

Fareeha smirked and lowered her book slightly.

"But then it wouldn't be a punishment would it?" The older woman offered teasingly.

Alex rolled her eyes at the older woman and continued with her menial task. She had gotten herself into this one. This was her punishment for the 'fight' she'd had with Conner a week ago. 2 weeks of after-hours detention with Fareeha, which usually involved cleaning or sorting of some kind. Originally Conner and Alex had started their detention together, but after the first day Fareeha had realized that trying to have the two of them work together was going to be more of a punishment for her, so she'd split them up for their tasks, leaving Conner under the watch of another professor at the academy while Alex was lucky enough to be supervised by Fareeha.

All things considered though, Alex didn't mind Fareeha honestly. She was quiet most of the time, which Alex preferred, and she wasn't condescending towards Alex like some adults could be. Alex was also thankful that most of the tasks Fareeha had given her required little to no strain on her ribs, but that could have been due to Angela's influence. She was sure the good doctor would give Fareeha hell if Alex's injuries got any worse while under her supervision. Although that didn't account for all the times Alex _wasn't_ being supervised by Fareeha.

It had been a week since everything happened, and surprisingly Alex hadn't done anything to worsen her injuries. She'd had to sit out on a few of the more strenuous activities that certain classes ran, but otherwise she'd mostly been able to continue going to all of her classes. Mostly.

Under normal circumstances Alex would never use an injury as an excuse to get out of something, but this was a special case, and Doctor Ziegler had been more than happy to officially excuse her from her second self-defense class of the week in favour of getting more rest. Alex supposed she had her injuries to thank for having a legitimate excuse for getting out of that class, and seeing a certain someone.

The more time Alex spent at the academy though, the more time she wondered how long she could put it off. She wouldn't be able to dodge the woman forever. She had been lucky so far to not run into her in the hallways of the extensive campus, but she knew she could not keep it up, nor could she continue missing her classes.

Alex sighed. She knew this was a demon she'd have to deal with eventually. She just hadn't quite figured out the actual 'dealing' part yet.

Placing the last book from her trolley back into its place on the shelf, Alex stretched her arms out, glad to be done with the menial task for the day. She was tired, something Alex found she was a lot lately, and she just wanted to get back to her dorm and crash for the night.

As she pushed her empty trolley around the corner, she noticed that Angela was now in the library too, talking to a now standing Fareeha beside the lounge she'd been sitting in before. They were talking quietly, and Alex couldn't hear what they were talking about but she assumed it had nothing to do with her so she didn't really care.

"I'm done." Alex announced as she approached the two older women with her empty trolley.

Both women diverted their attention to Alex, before Fareeha's glance shifted down towards the trolley, making sure that it was indeed empty.

Alex rolled her eyes.

"Don't you think if I was lying I'd go to a little more effort than just leaving books in the trolley?" Alex asked sarcastically.

Fareeha considered a moment before replying in an equally sarcastic manner:

"You're right. I should check the shelves too."

Alex audibly groaned, causing both Fareeha and Angela to chuckle.

"I'm kidding Cross. You're good to go."

Alex rolled her eyes again, but smirked.

"Finally!" she replied in mock exhaustion, before looking towards Angela and adding:

"And hey Doc."

Angela offered a warm smile, before replying:

"Not giving Fareeha too much trouble are you?"

"What? _Me?"_ Alex replied sarcastically before laughing.

Alex had gotten to know both Fareeha and Angela a little better over the past week, learning early on that the two women were together after Angela consistently came to visit while Fareeha was supervising Alex's detention. Despite the fact that Angela was a doctor, and usually Alex hated doctors, Alex found that she didn't mind the presence of both women. They both gave of a warm and inviting aura, and Alex felt comfortable around them, finding that she could almost bring herself to trust both women. Almost.

"Do you think you'll be well enough to attend Amélie's class tomorrow?" Angela asked pleasantly.

And there it was. That name that could seemingly crush any sense of comfort or trust Alex had come to make in this place. The comfort and warmth she'd felt only seconds ago around these two women was replaced with coldness and mistrust.

_"_ _What if they know what she did to your parents?"_

_"_ _What if they helped?"_

The voices in Alex's head were relentless, ripping apart any delusions of trust she managed to build up. Despite the demanding voices, and the nauseating turning of her stomach, Alex smiled through it, like she always did, although her smile wasn't genuine now, and she was sure if she could see her own face she'd see how fake it looked. She wondered if maybe Fareeha and Angela could see how fake it looked. If they did, they didn't say anything.

Taking a breath so that her voice didn't waver, Alex replied straightly, showing no traces of her previous light tone:

"Maybe. I'll let you know in the morning. I'll see you both later."

And with that, Alex turned on her heel and walked at a quicker pace than she intended out of the library, not waiting to hear the older women's responses. She pushed her way through the large wooden doors, gasping slightly as she breathed in the cool evening air outside. She took a few moments to steady herself against the stone wall of the building, before pushing off it and walking quickly to her dorm room.

She slammed the room door shut behind herself as she practically threw herself into the room, glad that the room was empty so she didn't have to explain the weird outburst to her inquisitive roommate. Alex leaned against the door heavily, suddenly feeling like she'd run a marathon. Well, she had practically run back to her room. She stood there, breathing heavily for a few moments before the buzzing of her phone in her pocket caused her to jump.

"Shit!" She exclaimed, before wrenching the object out of her pocket to see who had scared the living shit out of her.

Lena.

'Just checking in. We haven't talked in a while. If you ever, y'know, want to, I'm here. Oh! And I hear you have your first class with Amélie tomorrow, let me know if she….'

Alex didn't read the rest of the message. She clenched her fists and breathed heavily through her nose, before throwing her phone angrily at her pillow.

Alex needed to cool off, so she decided to have a shower to calm herself down.

The pleasantly warm water had its desired effect, making Alex feel somewhat calmer as it ran soothingly over her body. With Alex's temper satiated for the time being, she now had time to dwell on the fact that she'd been a pretty shitty person and friend when it came to Lena. She still hadn't actually spoken to the woman since the fainting incident, instead sending her a half-hearted text to say that she was okay and just too busy to actually talk. She didn't think Lena bought it though. She wouldn't. Still, the older woman consistently texted Alex every day, asking how she was doing, if she was recovering okay. Yes, she'd found out about Alex's fight with Conner and subsequent injuries. News seemed to spread fast within the Overwatch ranks, which was what worried Alex.

She loved Lena, she did, and she felt guilty for ignoring the woman, but she also felt justified in doing so. What good would it do forming relationships with these people if she didn't know if she could trust them in the end?

_"_ _There you go again, segregating yourself from everyone. 'These people'? It's almost like you want to be alone."_

And just like that Alex had managed to throw away her attempts at calming down.

'Classic Alex.' She thought to herself, sighing as she turned off the shower.

Alex cleaned her eye thoroughly, not worrying about getting it done in a hurry like she usually did when Kali was in the other room, seeing as she knew the other girl would be studying until late tonight. Alex wasn't sure what the other girl was managing to study for, they were only in their second week.

Satisfied with her work, Alex wrapped her towel around her body and opened the bathroom door into their adjoining dorm room to find her clothes for the evening.

"Hola Amiga." Came a smug voice that Alex unfortunately recognized all too well.

Laying nonchalantly along Alex's own bed laid the Latino woman, making herself completely at home and casually swiping through messages on what Alex realized was _her_ phone.

"WHAT THE HELL?!" Alex yelled loudly in response to the entire situation.

How the hell had the woman gotten into her room? And how had Alex not heard her come in? Okay now that Alex thought about both of those questions she realized neither of those feats should be surprising to her. Two questions remained though: What was the crafty woman doing here and what the hell was she doing with Alex's phone?!

Unfazed by Alex's initial outburst and not even sparing the younger woman a glance, Sombra continued to glance through the messages on the phone in front of her.

Alex's brow quirked in irritation at the other woman and she breathed heavily through her nose. She was just about to demand her phone back when Sombra spoke up:

"You know Amiga, Lena seems really worried about you." The woman announced with a smirk, shifting her eyes slightly towards the younger woman to see her no doubt irritated expression. It was exactly as she had expected.

That was it.

"Give me my phone!" Alex shouted loudly, springing forward from where she was standing suddenly.

Alex lunged herself at the older woman on the bed, determined to quickly snatch the phone out of her grasp and kick her off her bed for good measure. While Sombra had been surprised by the sudden movement at first, she quickly regained her senses and managed to manoeuvre herself to grab Alex and use her body weight and momentum to throw them both off the bed, tumbling off to the side in a heap.

Both women grunted as they hit the ground, and despite the pain in her side from the sudden fall, Alex managed to continue their momentum slightly, just enough to flip them over slightly so that Alex was on top, straddling Sombra who was now lying beneath her on her back.

Alex used Sombra's momentary confusion to snatch her phone out of the other woman's hand, smiling triumphantly at her apparent victory.

Sombra did not look upset or even annoyed however. Instead, much to Alex's irritation, the older woman's facial expression turned to a devilish and suggestive smirk, which only added to Alex's irritation.

Alex followed Sombra's eyes as they shifted slightly down to Alex's torso.

"There are easier ways to get a girl's attention you know?" Sombra purred in a husky voice.

Realization suddenly dawned on Alex and her eyes widened as her cheeks turned a dark shade of red. She whipped her eyes down to her torso to see that the towel she'd had wrapped around herself had come undone slightly in their tussle, and now fell loosely around her waist, meaning that her chest was entirely exposed to the smirking woman beneath her.

Alex quickly yanked the towel back up to cover herself from the other woman's prying eyes, earning a teasing chuckle from the woman still laying below her.

Alex blushed even further, dropping her phone to the floor beside the two women as she brought her left hand up in a swift movement, before bringing it back down again to slap the woman beneath her.

Sombra was too quick for Alex however, and caught her arm by the wrist before her hand could connect with her cheek. Sombra held onto the younger woman's wrist firmly, stopping her from pulling it back away or attempting to slap her again. Since her other hand was currently occupied holding up the towel, Sombra was pretty sure her face was safe.

Alex huffed at her restricted movement, glaring at the woman in irritation.

The sight gave Sombra a thought and she smirked devilishly again. Alex raised her eyebrow slightly at Sombra's expression, but didn't have much time to process what the other woman was thinking before Sombra suddenly yanked her forward by the wrist she was still holding, bringing her own torso up in the same movement to crash their lips together.

Alex's eyes widened in confusion, she had never been kissed before so Sombra had effectively stolen her first kiss, and so she just sort of froze awkwardly at first. When her senses came back to her slightly, she decided she should probably shove the older woman back, her mind telling her that was the smart thing to do, but when the older woman's lips started moving against her own, Alex couldn't help the sigh that escaped as she somewhat melted into it. She was wildly inexperienced in these matters, but she couldn't deny the warm feeling that was currently radiating from her core, so despite her common sense telling her otherwise, Alex closed her eyes and allowed herself to move her own lips against the older woman's.

Sombra guided Alex's lips with her own, and Alex felt her cheeks flush red hot. Her whole body was on fire, and just when she thought she might combust from all this heat, Sombra was ending the kiss just as suddenly as it had started.

Sombra maneuvered herself beneath Alex to sit up properly, so now Alex was practically sitting in the older woman's lap. Alex hadn't really moved since the kiss, sitting in stunned silence as Sombra shifted them.

Sombra glanced at the stunned girl for a few moments, amused, before she leaned in close to Alex's right ear and whispered huskily:

"You just smelled so good. I wanted to see if you tasted the same."

Alex's ears and face were practically on fire now, and she was sure her face looked equivalent to a tomato right now. The whisper had broken her out of her frozen stupor though, and now that Alex's senses were coming back, she came to fully realize what had just happened.

Alex's hand came down faster than Sombra could react this time, leaving a red tint across the older woman's face.

* * *

"What are you doing here Sombra?" Alex asked in an irritated tone as she sat down on the edge of her bed, now fully clothed.

Sombra stood by the window between the beds, leaning against the frame and staring out before popping herself upright and directing her attention towards Alex.

"What? Can't a girl just come to visit her _friend_ once in a while?"

Alex didn't like the way Sombra rolled her 'r's on 'friend', and to her irritation it caused a flush to creep at her cheeks.

"No. There's no way you'd make the effort for nothing." Alex replied sharply.

"Ouch. And here I thought we were closer than that." Sombra replied in mock sadness, sitting down on the bed next to Alex, a little too close for Alex's comfort, and pulling her tablet out of a small bag she had with her. She turned it on and started sifting through a few files.

Alex had a sneaking suspicion ever since she stumbled upon the other woman in her room, but now the reason as to why Sombra stopped by was clear. She had information on her parents. This was it. Alex was about to learn something new about her parents, about herself, about that night, about everything. For 12 years she'd been living in the dark and some information on that small tablet could either liberate her or destroy her. Was Alex even ready for this? Would she ever be ready? What was her parents involvement in an organization like that? What if Alex didn't like the answers she got? There were so many unknowns that there was no way for Alex to predict what would be in those files.

Sombra shook Alex's shoulder after a moment, bringing Alex back into the moment and out of her mild panic attack.

"You sure you want this information Amiga?" Sombra asked, eyebrow raised slightly.

Alex took a deep breath. She had made up her mind the first moment she laid eyes on Amélie at the academy. She had to know. She had never needed something so much in her entire life. She was willing to throw away everything to find out the truth. There was no going back now.

"Tell me everything you know."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A/N: Bit of a shorter chapter this time. It's kind of a interlude chapter, which may be annoying since I haven't updated in a while, I'm sorry! I've just been so busy but I wanted to get something out so yeah. I have started writing the next chapter however, and it's shaping up to be a big one, so stay with me!
> 
> Also, Alex had her first kiss how cute? Haha, not sure what I'm going to do with these two yet but someone asked to see them kiss and then I got thinking and boom! This chapter happened.
> 
> Thanks again for reading and as always, reviews/critique welcome :D


	22. Chapter 22

The sun burned into Alex's eyelids as the curtains to her shared dorm room were ripped open violently, the one responsible sighing happily.

Alex groaned as she pulled her bed-covers over her face, trying to block out as much of the intense morning light as possible.

The movement earned her an amused giggle from her 'way too happy to be awake this early' roommate Kali, which soured Alex's mood even more.

"Good morning Alex." The dark-skinned girl greeted happily.

Alex groaned louder in response before squinting heavily and whipping the covers back down, figuring her roommate wasn't going to let her get any more sleep.

"There's nothing good about the morning." Alex replied, rolling her eyes.

Kali just giggled again and started to prepare her attire for the day.

Alex stretched out her muscles, finding that the injury to her ribs was practically fully healed now as she felt no cramps or pain anymore. Whatever the doctor had given her had definitely sped up the healing process.

She reached for her phone on her bedside table, groaning again when she saw the time.

"What the hell Kali? It's 7am?! We don't have class until 9!"

Kali grinned.

"I wanted to take a morning jog before class and I thought I'd give _you_ a head start on getting ready since you've _never_ attended any of our self-defence classes. I figured you'd want to make a good impression by getting there. On. Time." She finished, drawing out the last two words as she pulled her long black hair into a pony tail.

Alex grimaced.

"Oh, no, no, no, no, no!" Kali started, noticing Alex's expression.

"You are definitely coming today! How long do you think you can keep missing classes hmm? And besides, it'd be nice to see someone put Conner in his place. You know we're sparring today, right?" Kali finished, flashing a smirk at Alex and wiggling her eyebrows suggestively.

Alex actually smiled at that, and she had to admit the thought was very alluring. Without any of Conner's douchebag friends to intervene, Alex was sure she could kick his ass, and it'd be part of an approved lesson so there'd be no repercussions.

Kicking Conner's ass aside though, Alex wasn't sure how she was going to handle seeing a certain someone else.

Kali finished dressing and grabbed a water bottle out of the small fridge the two shared, before heading towards the door. She paused, looking back to a frowning Alex and sighing.

"You will come to class, won't you?" Kali asked seriously.

Alex stared at her hands, clenching the sheets tightly in her fists before she took a deep breath and sighed loudly, resolutely.

She looked up to her concerned roommate and tried to smile genuinely.

"I'll be there."

* * *

_[The previous evening]_

"I hope you realize how much effort it took to dig up this information Amiga?" Sombra asked with a sigh as she sat on the bed next to the younger woman.

It'd been about a week since Alex had asked her to look into the connection between Isabelle Belrose, Arthur Valentine, and Talon. Having been more than familiar with the organisation itself, Sombra had been surprised and intrigued that she had never heard their particular names before. If there was one thing Sombra craved more than anything, it was information, so she was more than happy to oblige the younger woman if it meant finding out more information on an organisation she had her own reasons for looking into. She had heard the name 'Valentine' whispered throughout her infinite networks, so she had the feeling that the name carried some weight, but she'd never had a pressing reason to look into its significance until now. Her interest was piqued again when she started looking into the names, only to find that any evidence of the man and woman existing and any ties to Talon itself had either been disposed of or heavily hidden within the organisation. Clearly somebody didn't want anyone digging around.

Sombra hadn't learned nearly enough, and actually found herself quite invested in this little side quest, but she figured the younger girl would be getting restless with the lack of communication until now so she decided to make the effort to check in and give the girl an update.

"I wouldn't have asked you if I thought it was going to be easy." Alex replied, drawing Sombra out of her thoughts.

Sombra observed the girl for a moment, wondering how much she actually knew, before deciding to just cut to the chase.

"Okay Amiga, I don't know how much you know about the two people you asked me to look into, hell, I don't even know how you know them. _Somebody_ decided to leave out that information." Sombra started, earning an eye roll and an irritated sigh from Alex, before continuing:

"But the first thing you need to know is this: Isabelle Belrose and Arthur Valentine are dead."

Sombra paused, observing the younger woman beside her with a quirked brow, waiting for any signs of surprise. Alex merely stared at her hands in her lap, her expression unmoving in light of this information and Sombra deducted that this wasn't news to the girl.

"But you already knew that." Sombra stated rather than asked, already knowing the answer.

Alex frowned before looking up at the older woman.

"What else?" She asked somewhat impatiently.

"Yikes, so impatient!" Sombra exclaimed overly-dramatically, before continuing:

"The woman, Isabelle: She was born in Paris and taught at a primary school there. I checked her record only to find that it was squeaky clean. I tried the name 'Belrose' and kept hitting dead ends trying to come up with anything of interest that might link her to Talon. So that's when I started looking into the man: Arthur Valentine." Sombra finished with a devilish smirk on her face.

Alex gulped.

"…And what did you find?" She asked reluctantly.

"How much do you know about Talon Amiga?" Sombra asked with a smirk.

Alex furrowed her brow.

"I know they're a terrorist organisation, and they've been at the head of a lot of human/omnic tension over the past few years. I don't know much beyond that though."

"Talon is a very intricate organisation run by a bunch of rich people with too much time on their hands who think they know how to make the world a 'better place'. Sound familiar?"

Alex frowned, confused.

"You're saying they're the same as Overwatch?"

"I'm not saying anything Amiga. 'The good guys and the bad guys'? It's all a matter of perspective." Sombra stated, waving her hand for dramatic effect.

Alex eyed the older woman suspiciously.

"And which side do you fall on?" She asked in an accusatory tone.

Sombra laughed in response.

"I guess you could say I'm a neutral party. Besides, the real power lies with information." Sombra concluded.

"And what information do you have for me?" Alex pressed, not relenting.

Sombra smirked again, amused and intrigued by the intensity of the younger girl.

"What a lot of people don't know is that Talon is run by a small and exclusive inner council. While the organisation itself has several commanders with a more…public presence to lead its factions on missions, it's the inner council that's secretly pulling the strings. I thought I knew the identity of every person who held a seat on that council, but apparently there are things that even I don't know Amiga." Sombra finished with mock sigh of disappointment.

Alex huffed impatiently.

"And what does all of this have to do with Arthur Valentine?"

Sombra smirked at the girl's obvious confusion.

"The name 'Valentine'. I've heard it whispered throughout my network of information, but I never really had a reason to care about looking into it until a certain Fox asked me to." Sombra stated, winking at Alex.

Alex just rolled her eyes, becoming impatient.

"So you've heard the name before? What does it mean?"

"Imagine how hard it would be to find someone who doesn't want to be found. Someone who was good at covering their tracks, and just happened to be rich enough to pull it off?"

Sombra paused for dramatic effect, before continuing smugly:

"Or so they thought…"

Alex just rolled her eyes. She was tired of these games and just wanted Sombra to say what she'd found out already.

Sensing the younger girl's impatience and deciding she'd had her fun for the moment; Sombra swiped her finger across her tablet to bring up a file.

"The file is incomplete, no doubt the handy work of the higher-ups at Talon, but I managed to find partial files detailing a mission. Talon was tasked with tracking down both Arthur Valentine and Isabelle Belrose, and assassinating them. Erasing the records was likely a part of the mission as well but lucky for us people like this always forget something." Sombra finished smugly.

Alex took a deep breath. She'd already known that her parents had been killed, she had stared their murderer in the face that night, but somewhere inside Alex never truly thought that woman had been acting of her own accord, even before reading Daishin's letter Alex had always suspected someone else was pulling the strings.

Before Alex could get too lost in her thoughts, Sombra broke the silence, smirking devilishly as she continued, much to Alex's chagrin.

"It took longer than I'd like to admit to trace the fractured mission files back to their origin, and it turns out the order for the assassination came directly from the inner council itself. This wasn't some small-time mission from the lower ranks of Talon. The order came from the top of the top, from somebody on that council, a member that I was formerly unaware of. And you'll never guess what name I found on the original order."

Sombra paused, her smirk turning dark before finally adding:

_"_ _Valentine."_

Alex's eyes widened as the pieces in her mind started to come together, horrified at the implications.

Sombra noticed the realization dawning on the younger girl.

"Do you understand what that means Chica? Either Arthur Valentine ordered his own assassination, or more likely…?" Sombra provided.

Alex gulped before responding with a shaky voice:

"The order came from someone in his own family."

* * *

Alex lay in her bed, staring at the ceiling as she recalled the information Sombra had given her the evening before:

...

_"_ _There's still a lot I don't know Amiga. The mission files I found are incomplete, and I still don't have a full name for this council member or a reason for the order on Arthur Valentine and Isabelle Belrose's lives. There's still a lot of digging I need to do."_

_Sombra paused._

_"_ _And I assume you still want me to? Dig that is?" Sombra finished with a wicked smirk._

_Alex sighed heavily. As much as she hated to admit it, she needed more. It seemed she had just seen the tip of the iceberg at this point. The murder of her parents seemed to be more complicated than she could have ever imagined. Not only did she have to wrap her head around the idea that her father had been deeply involved with an organisation like Talon, now she also had the added worry of some other unknown relative who had ordered the assassination of her parents. Oh, and they were practically in charge of Talon. Great._

_Another thought had managed to worm its way into Alex's mind as well. Did this family member know of Alex's existence? Daishin had stated in his letter that her parents had kept her birth a secret, protecting her from Talon, so maybe by extent this person? What if this family member found out about Alex if she kept digging? Would they come after her as well? Would they order her death? Would that woman…_

_Alex couldn't finish that train of thought. She wouldn't allow herself to. Alex was feeling more on edge than ever in light of this new information, but she'd come too far to back down now. She was going to find answers. She owed it to her parents._

_She stared at Sombra with determination, and the older woman didn't need her to say anything to understand._

_"_ _I'll be in touch." Sombra said with a smirk, making for the door._

_Alex had a sudden thought and spoke up to stop the other woman in her tracks:_

_"_ _Hey Sombra." Alex started reluctantly, before continuing:_

_"_ _What would you do, if you were in a situation where you knew one of your enemies, and you had the opportunity to see them on a regular basis, in everyday life, but they had no idea who you were?"_

_Sombra raised her eyebrow for a moment, intrigued, but instead of asking, she just considered a moment, bringing her claw-like finger up to her lip and tapping before speaking up with her signature smirk:_

_"_ _Hm. 'If you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles.'"_

_Alex rolled her eyes at Sombra's attempt at being deep, regretting asking the woman at all, and was just about to turn away from the older woman when Sombra spoke up again._

_"_ _I'd get close to them. Information is power little Fox, and it looks like you're in a position to seize some of that power."_

_Alex considered the advice a moment._

_"_ _And you know what they say: 'keep your friends close and your enemies closer.'"_

_Before Alex could roll her eyes again, Sombra had vanished in front of her, leaving the girl alone in her dorm room with no evidence she'd ever been there at all._

...

Alex lifted her phone above her head to check the time. She still had a bit of time before class started: a class that she'd had to spend all morning trying to talk herself into attending. She wasn't sure if she was ready for this confrontation yet. She wasn't sure if she'd ever be ready. But Sombra was right. This Amélie woman didn't seem to recognize Alex, and that gave her the perfect opportunity to do some digging of her own, find out what she could directly from the source, hopefully without y'know, blowing her cover in the process. Alex wasn't sure she was cut out for spy work.

Alex glanced at her phone again, and with anxiety tearing away at her insides, she decided to dial the number she'd been putting off for too long.

3 rings.

"A-Alex? Is it really you?"

Alex's breath hitched in her throat at the voice, and she had to force herself to respond with some kind of normalcy.

"H-hey Lena."

It felt fake. And it felt lame, but Alex wasn't really sure what else to say to the other woman.

"It's so good to hear from you Luv! How's classes going? I heard you got into a fight with some rotten sod?! I hope you kicked their ass! But I was really worried you'd got hurt again! But Angela said you were okay! But I hadn't heard from you in a while, so I got worried all over again! And!"

Alex could heard Lena take a deep breath at the end of her sudden outburst of questions, obviously realizing she had been asking way too quickly for Alex to even form the answers to her questions in her mind.

Alex actually felt herself smile at the perky woman's outburst. Lena was outrageously optimistic, and unconditionally caring, and it made Alex want to simultaneously never leave the woman's side and run in the opposite direction.

Lena sighed through the other end of the line.

"I'm here. If you ever need to talk or anything, or even just listen to me ramble, just…anything." Lena offered with conviction.

Alex's heart clenched; and she had to resist the urge to hang up on the spot.

She knew that Lena meant it. The brunette had only known Alex for such a short time, but she was so caring, so genuine. It hurt. It twisted Alex's insides until she felt physical pain just from listening to the other woman's voice.

So many emotions swirled through her: guilt, anger, betrayal, love? Alex didn't know much about emotions and dealing with her feelings towards others, but she knew in her heart that Lena was the person she cared about the most in this world right now.

"T-thanks Lena. I'm…good. I'm. Really good."

Alex didn't even notice she was crying until she spoke up and regretted the emotion in her voice the moment she did.

Lena must have noticed, but Alex thanked the heavens that she didn't press any further.

"How are your classes going?" Lena asked, changing the subject.

"They're okay. I've had to sit out a bit because of my ribs, but I'm pretty much healed now."

Alex could hear Lena's breath hitch at the mentioning of her ribs, she guessed the doctor hadn't told her about that, but again Lena didn't press it.

"That's good to hear Luv." Lena offered.

A few moments of silence passed before Alex finally couldn't handle the tension anymore and spoke up:

"Well, I have to uh-get ready for class now."

"Oh! Right! How's Amélie as a teacher? Is she strict?"

Alex held her breath for a moment, her hands beginning to tremble, before she answered as naturally as she could muster.

"I…don't know actually. Today will be my first class with her because of my…injuries." Alex lied.

"Oh. Well, let me know how it goe-"

"I've really gotta go Lena, sorry." Alex cut her off, not knowing how much more of this conversation she could handle but not being able to bring herself to just hang up on Lena. She didn't deserve that after the way Alex had treated her.

"Right. Well. It was really good to hear from you Luv." Lena stated in that completely honest and happy way that she said everything.

Alex could feel the tears forming at the corners of her eyes again.

"You too."

And with that, she promptly hung up and let her arms fall to her sides.

She wasn't sure if connecting with Lena again had made things better or worse.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the long wait for this update! Thank you for all the kind comments and tips, and of course for continuing to read!
> 
> Also, just thought I'd mention that for the purpose of my story I will be diverging from canon a little in that there are more members to the Talon inner council, and some keep their identities secret from most at the organisation. That's all I'll say for now.
> 
> ~Spoiler? A certain confrontation is coming next chapter~


	23. Chapter 23

Alex leaned on the wall outside the lecture hall anxiously. After her chat with Sombra and in light of finding out new information about her parents and Talon, Alex was determined to do some digging of her own. The only problem was that it meant confronting a demon that she'd been running from only, her entire life.

While Alex had convinced herself that getting closer to that woman would be beneficial in her search for the truth, there was a massive difference between convincing herself to go through with it, and actually going through with it.

Alex glanced through the half open door into the lecture hall. In her efforts to psych herself up enough to actually have the courage to come to class, Alex was inevitably late, meaning that if she just strolled in now, given her track record, she'd no doubt be the center of attention in front of an entire class plus a woman that she really didn't want to garner too much attention from.

Alex could see Kali and Jax sitting a few rows up from the front, thankfully closer to the door side of the room. Alex couldn't help but smile a little when she'd noticed the two had saved her a seat next to Kali even though it appeared that she might not be coming to class. Now that Alex thought about it, she'd been a pretty shitty person to those two as well, especially after they'd done everything to be kind and welcoming towards her. She felt a pang of guilt looking at her two new…friends, she supposed? She'd really have to try to be better with those two.

Movement towards the front of the lecture hall drew Alex's attention to her real target of the day: Amélie. Alex involuntarily gulped when her eyes locked onto the other woman. Alex had been observing her for the past 15 minutes or so, hoping that if she could actually look at the woman without passing out, she might actually be able to get through this class and pull this whole 'undercover' thing off.

Alex couldn't deny, looking at the woman gave her a sinking feeling of darkness and dread that she just couldn't shake, and wasn't sure she'd ever be able to shake. It was especially apparent whenever she happened to catch a glance of the woman's piercing golden eyes. It was hard to keep the horrific memories at bay when she stared into those golden orbs.

Alex swallowed her fear and anxiety harshly. She was resolute in her decision. She needed to do this, or she feared she would never be able to move on from this darkness.

At the very least, observing the woman for a time hadn't rendered Alex incapable of moving, so she convinced herself that finally she was ready to enter the hall.  
Alex listened carefully to Amélie's voice, having to close her eyes for a moment to fight off the memories that tried to flood into her mind with it, and waited for the right opportunity to sneak into the lecture hall unnoticed.

She saw her opportunity when Amélie announced that the class would be participating in sparring matches today, where volunteer's would come up in pairs and duel to determine individual strengths and weaknesses, and to learn proper form when dealing with hand-to-hand combat. Amélie then turned around to her digital board away from the class, and effectively away from the door that Alex was waiting behind, to pull up a class roster and glance quickly through the student's stats and records, observing the skills they had upon entering the academy.

Taking a deep breath, Alex slowly inched the door open further, sighing in relief when it didn't make any noise, and ducked quickly in behind the closest row of seats which was only a few steps away from the door. A few of the students closest to the front of the room noticed her entrance with curious eyes, and Alex even earned an eye roll from Diana who was sitting close to where she was crouched. Of course the proper and prim girl would have a problem with Alex's sneaking into class, but thankfully the girl didn't speak up to turn her in, which Alex was eternally grateful for.

Alex leaned over the railing beside where she was crouched to see if Amélie was still looking away. Thankfully the woman still had her undivided attention on the digital board opposite the students.

Alex turned back around, finding her destination quickly: the seat next to Kali a few rows up. Kali and Jax had noticed her entrance now, and both raised their shoulders slightly in a "what are you doing?!" kind of motion. Kali looked particularly stressed at Alex's unorthodox method of sneaking into class, but Alex could see in the girl's eyes that she was happy that Alex had actually come at all. Jax on the other hand seemed genuinely amused at her antics, and even giggled quietly before Kali quickly poked him in his side to silence him.

The sight stirred a warm melancholic feeling inside Alex, and she had to suppress the urge to giggle herself. After one quick glance over her shoulder to assure she was safe to proceed, Alex smirked and winked at Kali and Jax, before lunging herself forward and up the rows of stairs stealthily. She reached the aisle that Kali and Jax resided in and was about to slide into the seat beside Kali when the resounding sound of someone clearing their throat echoed through the room and all of the students who were previously murmuring seemed to simultaneously go quiet.

Alex noticed that the colour seemed to drain from Kali's face as the girl glanced towards the front of the room and then back at Alex with a sympathetic look on her face. Alex swallowed the saliva forming in her throat harshly, realising the source of the sound and realising she'd been caught.

Under normal circumstances it wouldn't be that big of a deal. Alex would laugh it off, maybe get a detention for being late, but ultimately it wouldn't faze Alex too much. This was different though. The person who'd caught her was someone who genuinely scared Alex.

It took every bit of Alex's strength to force herself to turn around and face her captor. As soon as her eyes locked with golden, Alex couldn't help the encroaching feeling of darkness and dread that swirled inside her. Looking into those piercing eyes, Alex couldn't help but compare the situation to a fly being trapped in a spider's web. She gulped audibly.

The woman glared at her for what felt like an eternity in Alex's mind, before she raised her eyebrow and spoke in her alluring French accent that twisted at Alex's insides.

"How nice of you to finally join us Miss Cross."

Alex opened her mouth to reply, but found that she was kind of frozen in place, not really sure what to do or say now that the woman had addressed her directly for the first time. She opened and closed her mouth several times trying to form a response, but ended up just feeling like some dumb goldfish in the process.  
Amélie seemed to be waiting for a response, but when she realised she wasn't going to get one from the seemingly speechless girl, she just sighed and brought her hand up to her temple.

"I expect you to be on time in the future. Are we clear?" Amélie asked in a stern voice.

Alex could only nod dumbly, still unsure as to whether she'd actually be able to form words to respond to the woman, and quickly moved towards her destined seat. Before she could reach it however, Amélie suddenly spoke up again, cutting her movements short.

"Since you did decide to finally grace us with your presence however, thank you for volunteering to be a part of our first demonstration." Amélie finished, quirking her brow.

Alex blinked, confused for a moment as to what she meant, and then remembered that they would be sparring against other students today.

Amélie indicated the spot beside where she was standing down the front of the class with her hand, and Alex realised she wanted her to join her down there.

'Oh'. She thought to herself.

She placed her sling bag onto the seat next to Kali. As she turned to go down she noticed the look of sympathy and concern on Kali's face and smiled reassuringly to the girl. Maybe if she could convince Kali that everything was okay she'd be able to start on convincing herself.

Alex slowly made her way down to the front of the room. She couldn't deny that she was incredibly anxious right now. She was in the same room as that woman, and now she was about to be standing right next to her. Alex could already begin to smell the woman's alluring and overwhelming scent, and it made her a little dizzy as she approached the woman. She had to constantly fight the urge to just run out the door, but she reminded herself of why she was here and what she needed to do, a mantra repeating in her mind to keep her from tipping over the edge or being consumed by this woman.

Maybe sparring would be good for her right now? She could let off some steam and find something else to direct her concentration and energy towards. She took a few deep breaths, steadying herself as she took her final steps towards the tall woman.

'You can do this.' She said to herself internally.

Thankfully Amélie didn't pay her too much attention and even stepped forward and away from Alex when she arrived, allowing Alex to let out a breath she didn't even realise she was holding.

"As I stated earlier, today we will begin with paired up sparring lessons to determine each of your strengths and weaknesses when it comes to hand-to-hand combat. I have read each of your files and have a small understanding of your individual capabilities; however it is always beneficial to find yourself tested in a practical environment, and against different opponents. You will learn from your classmate's strengths, and apply your newfound skills to hone your own strengths, and identify your weaknesses. Each dual will be a paring up of two volunteers, and will last until one member concedes, is unable to fight back, or the match proceeds longer than 15 minutes, upon which a draw will be announced. Your rankings in these matches will affect your assessment rankings for this class overall, so I suggest you do not take them lightly. You will have the entire semester to improve your ranking, or let it fall." Amélie announced to the whole class, causing a murmur of excitement to erupt among the students.

Alex followed along with the explanation, focusing on the words themselves and trying her best to block out the actual voice they were coming from.  
When the murmuring in the hall died down, Amélie continued:

"Due to the nature of this class and these assessments, I have asked Doctor Ziegler from our medical department to join us during these sessions should any student sustain more serious injuries."

The door to the lecture hall suddenly swung open and Angela walked in. Alex noted that she always held a kind of angelic aura whenever she walked into a room, and the other students must have noticed as much as they all seemed to go silent again. As Angela passed Alex to join Amélie at the front of the room, she winked at Alex and smiled, and Alex couldn't help but smile in return. Like Lena, the woman emanated warmth and kindness, and Alex was genuinely happy to see a familiar, somewhat trusted, face.

"I will be here to provide medical assistance should any student need it." Angela spoke up kindly to the class, before turning to walk past Alex again and leaning back on the desk slightly behind her to her left.

"Thank you Doctor Ziegler." Amélie started, before directing her attention back towards the students:

"The purpose of these matches is to either make your opponent concede, or make it so that they are unable to fight back. These matches are to be fought cleanly, and without intent to cause unnecessary harm. I will be acting as your referee, so anything I deem as dirty fighting or unnecessarily harmful to your opponent will result in the termination of the match and a loss on your behalf. Are there any questions?" Amélie asked in conclusion.

Alex inwardly scoffed at the woman's apparent care for the student's well-being. She seemed to have everyone at the academy fooled, but Alex was not ready to see her as the caring and informative lecturer just yet. Alex wasn't ready to see the other woman as anything more than a demon or a spider right now, but this was a demon she needed to face.

The room was filled with hushed murmuring when finally a single hand rose towards the back, drawing Alex out of her dark thoughts. Alex actually found it in her to smirk when she realised who it was.

"Can I volunteer to fight her?" Conner asked, pointing in Alex's direction and smirking maliciously.

Alex returned his vindictive look tenfold, actually growing excited at the prospect of finally having a chance to fight him one on one, with no outside factors to sway the outcome.

Amélie actually chuckled in response and Alex found the sound incredibly unnerving, shivering slightly.

"As much as I admire your determination Mr Hunter, I do not require any volunteers for this first match today." Amélie replied with the smallest hint of amusement in her voice.

She turned to face Alex now and Alex could have sworn the look in her golden eyes was downright predatory.

"Miss Cross's opponent today, will be me."

* * *

 

Alex was breathing heavily, almost on the verge of panting and the match hadn't even begun yet. Her mind had been a blur ever since Amélie had announced that she would be fighting Alex. A small drop of sweat trailed over Alex's mechanical eye as her mind started to fully comprehend the situation she found herself in. Every inch of her body was screaming at her to run, that this was it. She'd reached her limit and she couldn't go through with this, convinced that her body would freeze up and she wouldn't be able to defend herself at all.

But then a loud buzzer had sounded, momentarily dragging Alex from her thoughts, and Amélie was lunging at her, faster than seemed humanly possible. Surprisingly Alex's instincts kicked in and she made a move to defend herself from the incoming attack but she was still reeling slightly and her head still felt heavy, so her movements were sluggish and she found herself on her back within seconds. She sucked in harshly, trying to force the air into her winded lungs and being unsuccessful the first few times. She managed to catch her breath after a few moments, but the loss of air left her gagging to try to refill her lungs. The familiar burning sensation of bile filled her throat and it took all of Alex's resolve not to puke right then and there. There was no way she was going to give that woman, or anyone else in the room that satisfaction.

Once Alex had calmed down enough to register her surroundings again, she realised that the woman was standing directly in front of her. She had not made another move to attack, so Alex deducted that she had been waiting for the girl to regain her senses.

Alex reluctantly lifted her gaze to meet that of the woman standing over her. Amélie's face showed a somewhat bored expression, which got under Alex's skin.  
"I expected more after reading your file and recommendation. I suppose Lena had misplaced her faith in you after all. Your head is not in this match Miss Cross, nor does it appear to be in your studies at the academy." Amélie stated in a bored tone, before reaching her arm out towards Alex.

The mentioning of Lena's name only reminded Alex of her relationship to the woman standing over her. A swirl of emotions ran through Alex at the implied insults the older woman had just thrown at her. Buried beneath the layers of fear and anxiety and darkness that all surrounded her, Alex delved into her deepest and most raw emotion that she had always known she'd felt for this woman: hatred. She hated this woman. This woman had taken everything from her. Robbed her of her family, her memories, her life. And now it was like she was just standing over Alex to rub it all in, and it made Alex livid. For the first time in a long time, Alex felt herself tipping over the edge of being totally consumed by her rage.

She glared up at the older woman, refusing to acknowledge the hand that had been offered to her, and stood up of her own accord, putting some distance between herself and the other woman in an attempt to calm herself down.

Amélie sighed and withdrew her arm, taking her place opposite Alex. She gave Alex a curious glance, and Alex knew by the woman's look that she could tell that Alex was having trouble controlling herself. She was close to letting her anger control her, and she couldn't afford to do that here, in front of all these people. She took a few deep breaths and tried to focus on the match at hand, desperately trying to imagine that Amélie was any other opponent in this moment.

The two woman remained in a silent stand off for a few moments, neither willing to give in. After a few minutes though Alex couldn't stand staring into those piercing golden orbs any longer however, and despite all of her training with Daishin that told her to wait for her opponent to make the first move, she lunged towards the other woman in an attack to break apart their awkward stand still. Amélie seamlessly dodged her attack, which Alex had kind of expected if she was being honest. The woman had the toned muscle of a proven skilled fighter, and Alex was letting her emotions rule her right now, meaning she was reckless.

Amélie swivelled around after dodging Alex's initial attack and landed a blow to Alex's side, sending her stumbling forward, but thankfully not on her ass this time. Alex swiftly turned to face her opponent again, her rage only growing.

"You're not focussed Cross. Pull yourself together." Amélie stated sternly, which only agitated Alex further.

Alex clicked her tongue, irritated at both the woman in front of her and herself. Alex hated that Amélie was right. Alex wasn't fighting strategically right now, she was letting her anger control her and it didn't take an idiot to realise that.

"You need to calm down and fight strategically." Amélie added in the same stern tone.

Alex gave the woman an incredulous glare. The last person she needed a lesson in emotions or anything remotely human for that matter, was this woman.  
'Calm down? You're asking me to calm down?!' Alex thought to herself disbelievingly. How ironic of the woman that murdered her parents to be in a situation to tell Alex that she was the one who needed to calm down.

And just like that, any hopes Alex had of reigning in her anger dissipated entirely.

Throwing restraint aside, Alex suddenly found herself lunging at the woman with renewed vigour, letting her anger totally fuel her movements without reserve. Amélie was still able to dodge most of her attacks, but Alex had adrenaline pumping through her veins now, and she didn't let up for a second, giving her opponent no time for rest. Eventually, Alex managed to land a blow across Amélie's face, sending the woman stumbling back slightly.

Excited murmuring broke out among the students, but Alex barely registered the sounds in her mind. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Angela shift slightly, but she made no further move towards them.

Alex panted heavily, and found herself satisfied that she'd managed to land a hit on the other woman. The thought that she had inflicted some kind of pain on Amélie brought Alex a sadistic kind of happiness, which both excited and horrified her.

Amélie gracefully swiped the back of her hand across her lip, and Alex detected a hint of surprise in the woman's expression when she noticed blood.

The sight of the blood also surprised Alex, she didn't realise she'd hit the woman that hard. Alex's enraged actions began to register in her mind, and the sight of the blood on the hands of the woman in front of her, the same woman with the blood on her hands from that night, began to tear Alex apart from the inside. An onslaught of dark memories began to invade Alex's mind, and she stumbled back, feeling like they'd taken on a physical form to strike her down.

Apparently unaware of the internal struggle going on inside of Alex, Amélie took the opportunity to regain the upper hand in their match and lunged towards Alex in an attack of her own. Alex was too lost within her own mind to even defend herself, and she vaguely registered her body flipping over Amélie's own, tumbling through the open air for what felt like an eternity before her back finally hit the ground and the full realisation of her current situation came flooding back to her in a shot of pain that ran up her entire form. She was winded, but unlike before she felt like she couldn't breathe at all, like all of the air had been ripped from her lungs and she'd been rendered unable to suck anything back into them. Amélie was suddenly on top of her, pinning her lifeless body to the ground, even though Alex knew in her dazed state that she was utterly incapable of even moving her body to fight back.

Amélie's fist stopped mere centimetres away from Alex's face, and her body was thoroughly pinned by the older woman, indicating that it was certain that Amélie had won this fight.

Alex's head was still reeling from being thrown into the air and landing on her back, as well as the swirl of memories and emotions coursing through her mind right now. She finally found herself able to suck in a harsh breath, and tried desperately to focus her blurred vision.

When she was finally able to focus her eyes, she was met with an image that chilled her to her very core, and hitched her breath in her throat. Amélie's golden orbs were piercing into Alex's own with a predatory but empty glare, and Alex found herself more scared than ever of the woman above her. Amélie looked like she wanted to kill Alex, and in that moment, Alex was certain that she would not take another breath.

The whole scenario was too familiar, and Alex's blood was boiling. Amélie's scent seeped into Alex's core and overwhelmed her senses, making it feel like she was suffocating. She couldn't breathe, and her body refused to move. The piercing glare held her entire being in place, and Alex suddenly felt like her entire life was flashing before her eyes, like they always said in old movies. Except it wasn't her whole life, it was the dark moments of her life, the horrendous moments, all playing and meshing together to drain Alex's entire life force and render her more petrified than she'd ever been in her life. Her eyes were wide and unblinking, and she barely registered the tear that fell down her left cheek.

This was it. Amélie was going to kill her. The darkness would consumer her, but this time she wasn't coming back.

In the back of her mind, Alex registered a change in the woman above her. Light seemed to return to her golden orbs, and Alex could have sworn she saw a flash of multiple emotions flicker through those golden orbs in quick procession: recognition, confusion, shock, and finally settling back to their regular stern gaze from before the fight.

Suddenly a loud buzzing sound resounded around them, and Alex's mind was wrenched back into the present. Amélie blinked rapidly, seemingly clearing her head, before promptly pulling herself off Alex and taking a few steps away from the girl.

Alex remained motionless; confused as to how she had managed to escape the finality of death when she'd been certain she was at her end. She sucked air into her lungs harshly after having held her breath for what felt like an eternity. She vaguely registered the confused hum of students in the lecture hall whispering. Something was up.

She slowly pushed herself into a sitting position and glanced towards the rest of the students with glazed, empty eyes. Their attention didn't seem to be focused on her, so she turned to face towards the front of the lecture hall. Even in her dazed state, Alex managed to make out the figure of Angela holding Amélie up slightly as the latter seemed to be leaning heavily on her desk, pushing against her forehead harshly with her palm. Her face looked pained and frantic, and Alex had no idea what had happened or if she had been responsible for this. She didn't remember. She didn't remember anything clearly other than the sinking feeling that she was going to die, and somehow didn't.

Did she black out again? Did something happen while she was out? Nothing about this made sense.

Suddenly Angela was speaking up, addressing the whole class.

"Your lesson is over for today; please make your way to the study hall or your dormitories until your next class."

The students seemed reluctant, but nonetheless filed out of the classroom relatively efficiently. Alex was still sitting frozen with her eyes glued to Amélie's pained form, trying to piece together what exactly had happened. She barely registered Kali and Jax moving towards her, and Angela stopping them and pushing them out of the classroom as well. It felt like an explosion had gone off in her ears, ringing persistently and blocking out her ability to form coherent thoughts at the moment.  
She had no idea how long she sat there. She felt empty, like maybe she had actually died and she was just sitting aimlessly in some kind of purgatory.

Alex felt herself being shaken suddenly.

"..lex. A… Alex!"

Alex's eyes slowly came into focus enough to recognise that Angela was crouching in front of her, concern etched into her features as she shook Alex's shoulder forcefully.

"Alex!" The Doctor repeated sternly.

Alex blinked a few times, not quite sure where she was or what had happened.

"Doc…tor Zeigler?" She managed to stutter out, her head heavy with fatigue and confusion.

"Alex I think you're in shock, but I need you to tell me if you have any physical injuries. Does it hurt anywhere?" Angela asked in a concerned tone.

Alex continued to stare at the older woman, unable to really comprehend at the moment what the other woman was asking her.

Tears started to form at the corners of her eyes, and before Alex could even hate herself for showing this kind of weakness in front of someone else, they were streaming down her cheeks, unrelenting.

Alex felt like she was falling apart, and she had no idea what she should do or say at the moment so she just resigned to her default:

"I'm fine."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm back! And the real confrontation finally happened! I wonder if Alex will ever be happy in this story? Haha..ha...ha...
> 
> Next chapter will cover some of Amélie's perspective after the events of this chapter, as well as Alex~
> 
> As always, thank you for your kind words of encouragement.


	24. Chapter 24

Amélie's hands trembled as she clutched the warm mug between them. The hot contents felt like they were scalding her ever-cool skin, but she feared that if she loosened her grip even a little she would surely drop it.

She winced at the sensation. It had been almost 3 years now and they still couldn't figure out a way to revert her body temperature and heart rate back to normal, leaving her in this ever cool, blue tinged form. Amélie detested it. Every reflective surface became a reminder of how different she was. A reminder of the monster she once was, of the monster still lurking in the deepest parts of her mind, waiting patiently to drag her into the darkness again.

As much as she put on a brave face and convinced those around her that everything was fine, it was in moments like these that she felt the most afraid and alone. She felt like she was constantly walking on a tight rope, one wrong step and that monster would be waiting at the bottom for her, an evil smirk plastered across its face knowing that it had won and it had only been a matter of time before Amélie inevitably fell. Amélie had almost slipped off that tightrope today, and she felt like she was only hanging on by a thread right now.

A slamming sound from the next room caused Amélie to flinch in her skittish state, but it drew her out of her dark thoughts and successfully back into the present, although at this point neither option was desirable.

Amélie sighed loudly as she took a sip from her tea.

They weren't exactly being subtle...

* * *

"You said she was fine! You said she was fixed!" Winston yelled angrily from behind his large office desk.

"Amélie underwent serious mental trauma Winston! That kind of emotional damage isn't going to be fixed in a day!" Angela replied in an equally fierce tone from the opposite side of the large wooden furnishing.

"It's been three years Angela!"

"And how long was she a captive at Talon? How long was the Widowmaker in control?! I'm not a miracle worker Winston. I can't just wave a magic wand and make everything okay!"

Angela waved her arm in a mock motion out of frustration. This argument was getting them nowhere.

"I see what you're saying Angela, but you said she would be fine to teach here!" Winston stated in a slightly too accusatory tone for Angela's liking.

Angela glared at Winston now.

"That was _not_ only my decision Winston! We all agreed that it would help her to move on, to heal! And I still think that's possible."

Winston scoffed.

"She tried to kill a student today Angela!"

"We don't know that! It was an academy approved self-defence exercise! When their match had ended Amélie didn't make any moves to physically hurt Alex!"

"Yes but you said the girl was in shock. Why else would-?"

"I don't know Winston." Angela cut him off shortly, bringing a hand up to her temple and pressing hard in an attempt to relieve the stress building there. She was tired, and Winston was frustrated, and she couldn't begin to imagine what Amélie was feeling. They all needed to cool off if this matter was going to be resolved, and Angela was tired of arguing with the gorilla in front of her.

She took a deep breath before continuing:

"Contrary to popular belief I don't have the answers to everything. But maybe instead of standing in here and bickering like children, we should be consulting with the primary people involved?"

As Angela finished, she opened the door from Winston's office onto the dimly lit corridor, to reveal Amélie, still sitting in the waiting area just outside, clutching her tea.

Amélie had heard the argument finally die down, and heard Angela's approach from her side of the door. It seemed that they were finally ready to question her personally on the event that had transpired earlier that day.

Amélie had been recovering in the med bay for the majority of the day after her…episode, and it was already approaching the darkness of night. She was eager to get this over with so that she didn't have to think about it anymore. That was what she hoped anyway.

As the door opened and Angela smiled sympathetically to her from within Winston's office, Amélie couldn't help but raise her eyebrow and offer a sarcastic quip:

"Please. Don't stop on my account."

Angela rubbed at her temple again, and Amélie could see how stressed she was. Angela had been the one who pushed the hardest for Amélie's recovery, having been close friends with Amélie before she was taken by Talon, and Amélie couldn't help but feel slightly guilty that she was letting her old friend down in some way. This situation wasn't good for any of them.

"I'm sorry Amélie. We should have consulted you immediately instead of fighting like children." Angela offered apologetically.

Amélie finished her tea, setting the cup aside on a small table, before standing and approaching her old friend, placing a reassuring hand on her shoulder.

"It's okay Angela. Tensions are running high."

_If only they knew just how high._

"Let's get this over with." Amélie finished, passing her old friend and walking into Winston's office, taking a seat opposite the large gorilla.

Winston huffed in his large seat.

Amélie knew that the gorilla didn't particularly like her; he had been among those to show the most reluctance in allowing Amélie to join Overwatch after her rescue and recovery, seeing only the monster that was Widowmaker. She was surprised when he'd allowed her to teach at the academy despite his open distrust of her, but Amélie supposed Angela and Lena had a lot to do with that. At the end of the day, she wasn't particularly fond of the gorilla anyway, so his disdain for her never really bothered her. It did however; make times like these all the more worse, because Amélie knew that Winston would draw this whole ordeal out far beyond good measure before he'd even entertain the idea that Amélie was in her right state of mind.

The thought made Amélie chuckle to herself. Of everyone in Overwatch, it seemed that Winston was the only one who could see through her façade, through the lie she told every day:

'She was fine.'

Angela sat down in the chair beside Amélie, and Winston finally spoke up:

"I need a full report on the events that transpired during your morning class, involving the student: Alex Cross."

Amélie took a deep breath, and Angela leaned over to squeeze her forearm reassuringly.

"It's okay Amélie; just tell us what happened in your own words." The Doctor added.

Amélie cleared her throat, which seemed excessively dry in this moment.

"I was conducting a demonstration on hand-to-hand combat. Cross was caught trying to sneak into my class late, and so I volunteered her to participate in the first match, which was to be against myself."

Amélie paused, thinking Winston might have something snarky to say about her teaching methods. When no remark came, she continued:

"I explained the rules of the match, and introduced Angela to the class, stating that she would be there to attend to any wounds inflicted during the duels."

"Any wounds _you_ may have inflicted?" Winston asked Amélie in an accusing tone.

"Winston!" Angela exclaimed angrily, but Amélie simply raised her hand before the two could begin bickering again.

"Any injuries that untrained, inexperienced _students_ could have inflicted, Monsieur." Amélie replied, accentuating her words and narrowing her eyes at the gorilla in front of her, daring him to challenge her again.

Winston leaned back in his chair, seemingly relenting, and so Amélie continued:

"From the beginning of the match I could tell that Cross was unfocused. Her thoughts were elsewhere, and so I tried to drag her back into the present by focusing her attention on the fight. As the fight progressed, her thoughts seemed to become more focused on our duel, however her movements were sloppy and ruled by emotion. It was only when she managed to land a blow across my face and I finally looked into her eyes, that I recognised that there was anger behind them."

Amélie paused, trying to piece together what happened from this point on, where her mind began to go fuzzy.

"She was…angry." She repeated, recalling the look she'd seen in Alex's eyes after the girl had landed a blow on Amélie.

"So she was angry?" Winston cut in when Amélie didn't continue, adding:

"We can assume that the girl may have issues controlling her temper, if the reports about her scuffle with the Hunter boy previously are taken into account."

"Alex was provoked in that incident!" Angela defended, suddenly feeling the need to protect the younger girl.

"Perhaps…" Amélie offered absentmindedly.

Amélie was not unaware of the girl's track record at the academy so far. She certainly hadn't started off with the best of impressions, but Amélie knew that a simple case of temper control was not the issue in this instance.

Amélie was deeply acquainted with the look she'd seen in Alex's eyes that morning, and it caused her breath to hitch in her throat both at the time and now. When Alex had struck Amélie during their duel, her eyes held the wild gleam of a predator closing in for the kill. They were the eyes of someone who would take immense joy in snuffing out the life of their prey, the eyes of a monster: the eyes of the Widowmaker.

Amélie shuddered at the thought. In that moment it had been like she was looking into a mirror to her past, and that was all it took for a glimpse of that monster to claw her way to the surface, just for a fraction of a second.

Amélie didn't remember knocking Alex over, nor did she remember pinning her to the ground. All she remembered was coming to her senses merely inches away from those bright blue orbs, staring up at her in a completely different expression than she remembered seeing in them only moments before. Amélie thought she had never seen someone look so petrified in her life, but before she could even finish the thought the sudden weight of realisation hit her so hard that it felt like she'd been physically knocked back by it. Somewhere buried deep in the back of her mind, Amélie realised the familiarity the whole situation carried. She recognised that expression. It was all so familiar, but Amélie couldn't quite grasp it fully.

Amélie didn't attempt to dig for that memory though. She wasn't sure she could handle the weight of its implications right now, because the memory she was searching for, the memory of those petrified blue eyes staring back at her: it was Widowmaker's memory.

"Amélie? Are you okay?" Angela asked in a concerned tone.

Amélie hadn't even realised the doctor had placed her hand on her forearm again, too lost in her own thoughts.

"I'm fine." She answered simply. It was her mantra.

Winston cleared his throat from the other side of the wooden desk.

"It seems we are nearing the conclusion of your report, so I must ask Amélie: did you lose control today? Did… _she_ regain control at all?"

"Winston." Angela warned sternly.

"We need to know Angela. This affects the safety of the students as well." Winston replied equally as sternly.

Angela huffed, but didn't argue the matter further, knowing in her heart that Winston was right. If Widowmaker had regained any sort of control over Amélie, it would become too dangerous to have her interacting with the students.

Amélie paused a moment to gather her thoughts. She knew what she should say. She knew that for everyone's sake it was in her best interest to tell the truth, but the words kept catching in her throat. She knew how wrong it was, but she couldn't bring herself to tell them that she'd lost control for that fraction of a second today.

In truth she felt like she was only barely hanging on, and today had proven that Widowmaker was lurking just beneath the surface of her control, ready to grab the steering wheel at the first sign of weakness on Amélie's behalf. She knew how dangerous it could be to keep this from them, to keep it from even Lena, but the sense of normalcy and dare she say it: happiness, she'd developed being around Lena and Angela and the rest of Overwatch, hell, even her students. She wasn't quite sure she'd be able to survive giving it all up quite yet, resigning herself to be locked away again for what could be months or years of treatment, maybe in isolation. She couldn't bare the thought of that isolation. She needed to retain some form of normalcy or she feared she'd never be fully in control, so consequences be damned, she held her tongue regarding the Widowmaker for now.

"You need not fear Monsieur. The Widowmaker remains at bay." Amélie stated, hoping her voice sounded confident enough to convince the ape.

She practically felt Angela's sigh of relief to her right, and Amélie smiled slightly, happy that at the very least she was able to alleviate some of her dear friend's stress, even if it was through a lie.

Unfortunately though, she had a feeling that sense of relief would not remain through what she was about to tell them. While she decided to keep her Widowmaker problem sheathed for now, she did however; feel that her comrades needed to be aware of another, possibly equally as important factor in this whole ordeal.

"However, I came to a possible unfortunate realisation during our duel. The girl: Alex. I think I have met her before…" Amélie started, taking a breath before continuing:

"…When I was Widowmaker."

* * *

Alex's head was pounding when she clawed her way back into conciseness. Her eyelids were heavy, and it took all of her willpower to hold them open, blinking heavily multiple times in order to do so. The room she was in was only dimly lit by a light source she had yet to locate, so at the very least she assumed it was night time. She forced herself into a sitting position, realising she wasn't in her dorm room.

Alex wasn't quite sure where she was or how she'd gotten here. Her mind was fuzzy; she didn't really remember much of anything in that moment, and her head was throbbing with pain so her attention focused on solving immediate issues first and worrying about the rest later.

Even in the dimly lit room, it took what felt like forever for Alex's eyes to adjust and fully come into focus. She was laying on a worn but comfy lounge, in a small room which she recognised after a moment as Angela's office. She glanced around, noting that the room was empty apart from herself, and that the source of light was coming from a small lamp sitting on Angela's desk.

Looking towards the light caused strain on Alex's eyes, which only heightened the throbbing in her head, so Alex decided her first mission was to hunt down the doctor for some painkillers.

Alex pushed herself to her feet to begin moving, when suddenly the room began to spin around her and her face made contact with the carpet below her.

She groaned loudly at the jolt of pain that surged through her skull upon impact, and pressed her hand hard into her forehead to attempt to release some of the pressure there.

The door to the office suddenly swung open and Alex was greeted by a familiar but not exactly expected voice:

"Cross! I heard banging sounds, are you oka-"

Fareeha cut herself off at the sight of Alex curled into a ball on the ground in front of the lounge, cradling her head and groaning loudly.

She quickly sprang into action and practically lifted the barely mobile Alex off the ground, and leaned her back into the lounge in a sitting position.

Alex still pressed forcefully against her forehead, but managed to squint her eyes open slightly to mumble:

"Thanks."

Before Alex could even react, Fareeha had gotten up and stepped over to Angela's desk to retrieve something, and was back and kneeling in front of Alex.

"Here, take these." Fareeha offered, holding out two white tablets in one hand and a glass of water in the other.

"Doctor's orders." She added, winking at the younger girl.

Alex attempted to roll her eyes sarcastically, but the movement only ended up adding to her pain and she winced.

Alex gladly accepted the tablets from Fareeha, taking them both with one large mouthful of water in a swift movement, hoping dearly that they'd kick in soon.

After Fareeha had taken the glass back to Angela's desk, Alex asked sarcastically:

"I didn't know you were a doctor?"

Fareeha chuckled as she returned.

"I'm not. But I am married to one. And she would kill me if anything happened to you while you were under my watch."

"I guess you're my guardian angel." Alex replied in the same sarcastic tone, covering her face to block out the light in an attempt to alleviate some of the strain on her eyes.

Fareeha sat on the arm of the lounge to Alex's left, observing the younger girl patiently.

Angela hadn't told her much about what had happened. The doctor was in a flurry when she'd caught Fareeha during her free period earlier that day, insisting that she needed to take care of Amélie and that it was urgent that someone kept an eye on Alex in the meantime. When Angela had brought Fareeha back to her office, the younger girl was already resting on the office lounge after being carried in by Winston after apparently passing out during Amélie's class.

Fareeha frowned. This was the second time Cross had lost consciousness in Amélie's class, and from the snippets of details she managed to get from Angela before she was off taking care of Amélie, apparently something had happened to her as well. To top it all off, it had been over an hour since Amélie and Angela had gone off to their meeting with Winston in his office after Amélie had seemingly recovered from whatever had happened earlier in the day.

Fareeha sighed out loud. What the hell was going on? Did it have something to do with…Widowmaker? Fareeha shook her head at the thought. Amélie had been fine for so long now, surely this was about something else?

Fareeha could ask Cross about what happened, but the girl seemed to be in a lot of pain and Fareeha wasn't sure that pushing her for details was the best course of action right now. Angela said that she might be in a state of shock when she woke up, so she might not remember much at first anyway, and Fareeha didn't want to say the wrong thing and invoke her wife's wrath later on, so she decided to leave it for now.

"You should probably get some more rest-" Fareeha began, but after closer inspection she realised that Alex had fallen asleep again, her hand still covering her face.

Fareeha smiled slightly, thankful that she wasn't going to have to push the matter.

She moved Alex so that she was lying across the lounge again, and pulled up a small blanket to cover the girl.

As Fareeha leaned back to sit on the lounge's arm again, she realised looking at Alex that this was the most peaceful she'd ever seen the younger girl, and it saddened her somewhat. Fareeha sighed, averting her attention to the office door. She hoped Angela would be back with answers soon.

* * *

"What are the chances that you remember seeing Cross while you were inside Talon?" Winston asked in a low tone.

"You can't be serious?!" Angela exclaimed from Amélie's side.

"We don't know Angela!" Winston replied in a similar tone.

Angela scoffed, as Winston continued:

"What do we know about her early life before she was taken in by Zenyatta?"

"We know that she was taken in by Zenyatta's close friend from his days with the Shambali." Angela protested.

"An Omnic who left that organisation and an Omnic we know nothing about!"

"Zenyatta trusted him!"

Winston rubbed at his brow in frustration.

"And what of her life before then? She is human, what of her parents? Her family? How are we to know that she is not somehow involved with Talon?"

"She's a child Winston!" Angela proclaimed, slamming her hand on Winston's desk as she stood up.

"She wouldn't be the first child soldier we saw coming out of Talon Angela!"

"You can't seriously be suggesting this? I've spoken with Alex, Lena has gotten to know the girl! We would know-" Angela tried, but was cut off by Winston:

"You would _know_?! Just like we all _knew_ when Am…" Winston trailed off, not finishing his sentence.

Amélie had been quietly letting the two argue since she'd told them about Alex, not wanting to add fuel to the fire of their argument by interjecting herself. Much to her chagrin, Winston's latest comment had forced her into the conversation whether she wanted it or not.

"Just say it _ape_. Just like you all thought that I was okay after Talon had kidnapped me, not holding out any suspicions that I would assassinate my own husband, _oui_?"

Winston shifted uncomfortably in his seat and grumbled to himself.

"Amélie…" Angela started, but Amélie cut her off with the wave of an arm.

"I am fine Chérie."

The three of them sat in silence for a few moments before Amélie spoke up again:

"I do not think that I met the girl within the walls of Talon."

Winston pushed his glasses up, considering.

"Can you be sure?" He asked seriously.

Amélie considered. She was fairly certain that she had not seen the girl within Talon headquarters, but Widowmaker's memories were always foggy and unclear; stained with the blood of so many familiar and unfamiliar faces that it made her wince at the thought of just how much damage she'd done during her time as the assassin. Amélie decided that she was already putting the people closest to her at risk enough by lying about her momentary relapse today. She couldn't place her total faith in a memory she was not 100% certain of.

"I cannot be certain, non." She stated gravely, not wanting to make Alex's situation worse, especially since Lena had seemed to take a liking to the girl.

Winston leaned back in his large seat and sighed loudly.

"It is a very real possibility that Alex Cross is a victim of circumstance. Perhaps she ran into the Widowmaker while she was out on a mission, perhaps she was directly linked to one of those missions, or perhaps she was just a passing face in the crowd. However, the possibility still remains that the Widowmaker saw her at Talon, and that she is somehow linked to that organisation, and as such, her presence at this academy could pose a threat to the other students in attendance here."

"You can't kick her out Winston! She's-" Angela began to defend, before Winston cut her off again.

"I'm sure I would be met with much resistance if I tried to expel the girl, so I will not resort to that extreme with so little evidence. However, it is clear that we cannot simply let Miss Cross go about at the Academy as she has been previously. With the lives of her fellow students possibly at risk, I would like her to be placed under careful observation for the immediate future."

Angela sat back in her seat. While she didn't like the implications Winston was making about the girl, she couldn't argue that the student's safety came first. This precaution was necessary not only for the rest of the student's safety, but also Alex's.

Angela sighed.

"While I don't agree with such brash tactics, I will agree with you on this only because it prioritises _everyone's_ safety Winston. Including Alex's."

Winston nodded, before looking to Amélie for her response.

Amélie considered a moment, finding no real reason to object, and so just inclined her head in agreement.

"Then it's decided." Winston announced.

"How will you implement this observation without the girl becoming suspicious?" Amélie enquired, doubting that having guards follow the girl around campus would be entirely appropriate.

"The campus security system along with Athena will do part of the work. As for the rest…" Winston started, considering.

After a moment a thought came to mind that seemed like it could work in their current situation.

"The Mentorship Program." Winston stated, before continuing:

"The program was designed for Overwatch members and lecturers to take promising students under their wing and guide them into the profession where they show strength. It involves a lot of one on one time with the student, inside class hours as well as outside, meaning we'd always have a reason to be observing the girl when need be, and it would be the perfect opportunity to learn more about her in the process, meaning we could possibly also alleviate any suspicions we have about her."

Angela thought about the proposal.

"Won't it seem odd for a first year student to be selected for the mentor program? It hasn't happened before."

"The Academy is still young Angela, it would not be so strange. The girl finished in the top 10 of her year, and was recommended by Lena, an esteemed member of Overwatch. There's no denying she has the potential for the program, despite her apparent flaws." Winston reaffirmed.

Angela hummed.

"And who would be her mentor? I assume you want to keep this situation relatively controlled, meaning involving as few people as possible?" Angela asked, thinking over the possibilities.

Logically it would make sense for it to be one of the three in the room right now, or at the very least someone they trusted with this sensitive situation they were in. For security purposes, ideally it would be either Angela or Winston, although Angela doubted Winston would volunteer to take on an apprentice in his current position as Dean of the Academy.

"Unfortunately she doesn't strike me as the sort of person who would excel in healing." Angela stated with a frown, not really sure if Alex's strengths would align with her own to make her the right person for the job.

"No. You're right." Winston added, pushing his glasses back up his nose, before continuing:

"Her attributes would be more suited to…"

"To me." Amélie spoke up, drawing the attention of the other two in the room.

"But Amélie..." Angela warned, before the other woman cut her off:

"From the glimpse of her combat abilities I saw today, as well as the reports from both Lena and the statistics retrieved from her entrance exam: her attributes and fighting ability fit best with me."

Amélie sighed, not quite sure if she should be signing up for this.

"With Blackwatch."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Basically everyone is spying on everyone: the fanfic! Thanks so much for your kudos and kind words, they mean the world to me! See you all next chapter~


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